want a free space shuttle for your favorite museum??

[tom d. friedman]

nasa / the u.s. govt will give your favorite museum a free retired space shuttle with a few main hitches........ your museum pays the shipping & handling price tag of 28.8 million dollars per shuttle, including post flight repairs, delivery on the 747 jumbo jet hauler w/ capability for it's landing & delivery at location. the shuttle must be displayed indoors w/ climate control which means most museums would have to construct a new building. many museums are scrambling to snag 1 per the guidelines. this has been the biggest scramble since the retirement of the concords. that was easier because the airlines could choose where they went. best bests are udvar hazy / uss intrepid museums. nasa has received inquiries from 21 institutions to date. the usaf museum is in the running too, as the that branch of the military used atlantis primarily for many top secret missions. fund raising drives abound amongst the 21 potential display locations. then there is the debate of displaying it on it's landing gear, or upright in launch position w/ boosters, & yes.... even suspending it from a building structure's ceiling

[RickH]

Of course the NMUSAF has asked the NASA Administrator to waive all of the stated fees.

I've seen the letter from the General to the Administrator. It was sent after the USAF turned down NASA's request for two T-38Cs for Dryden. Wonder how that's gonna work out ?

I also heard a couple of weeks ago that they were going to delay the museum option and keep the Shuttles in flyable storage just in case they're needed.

[mustangdriver]

Rick, if the request for the T-38's came after the museum was told that just because they are the NMUSAF doesn't mean they will automatically get a shuttle and that there is a chance the shuttle we want may go to Chicago(just yards away from where a corrupt government murdered an airport), then turning down that request could be a very smart move in a chess game.

[tom d. friedman]

rick, that is good news. i've always believed that at least 1 shuttle should be in ready reserve in case of an emergency with the space station. i know that doesn't mean instant launch in such a scenario, but it would be more prudent to shave the time off launch time.

[warbird1]

I wouldn't be so quick to "write-off" the Space Shuttles. My best friend who lives in Florida knows many people down in NASA. There is a lot going on "behind the scenes" with politics as usual. NASA is just as sneaky as the Federal government in doing things to accomplish their stated goals and mission. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Space Shuttle ends up flying another 5 years or so. I think after November, the whole argument about which museums get the Space Shuttles will be a moot point.