Prez FY2012 budget allows for $14M to NMUSAF for Atlantis

[CH2Tdriver]

From the Dayton Daily News:

Boeing will donate $5 million for new Air Force Museum building
By John Nolan, Staff Writer
Updated 10:28 AM Friday, February 18, 2011

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — A $5 million donation from the aircraft maker Boeing Co. boosts the fund-raising for a new building that will house spacecraft and former presidential planes at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, officials said Thursday.

Construction could start in 2013 on the planned fourth building at the museum, which would house a retired space shuttle if the National Aeronautics and Space Administration decides to award one to the museum, officials said.

NASA said it hasn’t decided which museums will receive the orbiters for permanent display. President Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal 2012 allocates $14 million to NASA to prepare the shuttle Atlantis, which carried military payloads, for delivery to the Air Force museum.

With an early installment of Boeing’s grant already in hand, the Air Force Museum Foundation already has $20 million collected toward the estimated $42 million cost of the project, said George Mongon, the foundation’s chief development officer. Boeing said it will pay the rest of its pledge in two installments during the next three years.

The foundation hopes to have raised the full $42 million by the start of 2013 to construct what would be the museum’s fourth building, Mongon said.

The 200,000-square-foot building would open in 2014.

The building would house the museum’s spacecraft collection, cargo and tanker aircraft, and seven former “Air Force One” aircraft used to transport U.S. presidents.

[kmiles]

If the NMUSAF is supposed to be a stand alone museum with no government funding support, why is there $14 million in a proposed budget to prepare a shuttle for display there? Is Obama going to pay for the clean-up for the shuttles that go to private museums as well?

[Gary Norville]

Why didn't Delaware North get 14 million to keep a shuttle at the Cape ?

[CH2Tdriver]

It does strike me as odd, especially as KSC/Florida and Houston/JSC have so much to lose as the STS program shuts down and there is nothing in the pipeline for them to work on. Those are the places in need of financial support, and at least displaying a shuttle might bring in interest and tourist dollars. However little that might help?

OF course $14M is a drop in the bucket in the USAF budget so it is easy to justify.

If I was to put money down I would bet:
Discovery to NASM
Atlantis to USAFM
Endeavor stays in Florida at the KSC Visitors Center
That leaves Enterprise, which I think will end up in Houston at JSC.

[Pat Carry]

Interesting in light of all the huge budget cutbacks.

[mustangdriver]

More aircraft are going to be preserved and in doors. That is a good thing.

[Pat Carry]

Hey Chris, Whats up with lack of updates on the museum's restoration page?

[mustangdriver]

It's one of those things that when the updates do hit, look out. There will be some good things. I hear the Belle may be on her gear very soon.