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NASA plans to donate and sell old Shuttles after they're retired in two years.
NASA plans to donate one space shuttle to the Smithsonian, with the other shuttles up for grabs to any "educational institution, science museum, or other appropriate organization with millions to spend.
It will also be possible to purchase the engine for between $400,000 and $800,000.
"These are national assets, national treasures and something that NASA feels the public would want to see displayed publicly for years to come," said NASA spokesperson Michael Curie.
Shuttle Discovery will be the shuttle given to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., with the others up for grabs. The honor to show off a U.S. shuttle will be $42 million -- $28.2 million to remove hazardous materials from the shuttle, $5.8 million for transportation costs, and $8 million to help get the shuttle ready for public display.
NASA is looking to see if an organization has the money to purchase the shuttle, proper ability to display it, have proper money to make sure it's kept in good condition, among other requirements. It must also be kept in a "climate-controlled indoor display space," not outdoors.
After it's drained of all chemicals, a single shuttle weighs around 170,000 pounds -- a carrier aircraft will be required to transport the shuttle to a location that is landlocked.
The U.S. space agency plans to accept applications from all interested parties until March 17, 2009.
The current generation of space shuttles is expected to retire in 2010, with the U.S. space agency forced to rely on Russian Soyuz craft to get astronauts and supplies to the ISS. The next-generation shuttle is expected to be available in 2015 or 2016.
President-elect Barack Obama can prohibit the donation and sale of U.S. shuttles, if he doesn't want them to go to the highest bidder
NASA plans to donate one space shuttle to the Smithsonian, with the other shuttles up for grabs to any "educational institution, science museum, or other appropriate organization with millions to spend.
It will also be possible to purchase the engine for between $400,000 and $800,000.
"These are national assets, national treasures and something that NASA feels the public would want to see displayed publicly for years to come," said NASA spokesperson Michael Curie.
Shuttle Discovery will be the shuttle given to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., with the others up for grabs. The honor to show off a U.S. shuttle will be $42 million -- $28.2 million to remove hazardous materials from the shuttle, $5.8 million for transportation costs, and $8 million to help get the shuttle ready for public display.
NASA is looking to see if an organization has the money to purchase the shuttle, proper ability to display it, have proper money to make sure it's kept in good condition, among other requirements. It must also be kept in a "climate-controlled indoor display space," not outdoors.
After it's drained of all chemicals, a single shuttle weighs around 170,000 pounds -- a carrier aircraft will be required to transport the shuttle to a location that is landlocked.
The U.S. space agency plans to accept applications from all interested parties until March 17, 2009.
The current generation of space shuttles is expected to retire in 2010, with the U.S. space agency forced to rely on Russian Soyuz craft to get astronauts and supplies to the ISS. The next-generation shuttle is expected to be available in 2015 or 2016.
President-elect Barack Obama can prohibit the donation and sale of U.S. shuttles, if he doesn't want them to go to the highest bidder