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Shuttle's destiny



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 30th 05, 07:28 PM
Braxus
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Default Shuttle's destiny

When they do retire the shuttle fleet whether sooner or later, what is to
happen to the shuttles at that point? I can't see them all ending up at the
Smithsonian, so have they have plans to place them somewhere? I can imagine
one may stay at Kennedy and one in Houston.


  #2  
Old September 30th 05, 09:20 PM
ed kyle
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Braxus wrote:
When they do retire the shuttle fleet whether sooner or later, what is to
happen to the shuttles at that point? I can't see them all ending up at the
Smithsonian, so have they have plans to place them somewhere? I can imagine
one may stay at Kennedy and one in Houston.


I would like to see one in the Smithsonian, and the
others stripped of engines and offered for sale at
auction to the highest bidder, with the money going
back to the taxpayers.

But it won't happen because the low winning bid
totals might be embarrassing.

- Ed Kyle

  #3  
Old September 30th 05, 09:38 PM
Herb Schaltegger
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On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:20:56 -0500, ed kyle wrote
(in article .com):

Braxus wrote:
When they do retire the shuttle fleet whether sooner or later, what is to
happen to the shuttles at that point? I can't see them all ending up at the
Smithsonian, so have they have plans to place them somewhere? I can imagine
one may stay at Kennedy and one in Houston.


I would like to see one in the Smithsonian, and the
others stripped of engines and offered for sale at
auction to the highest bidder, with the money going
back to the taxpayers.

But it won't happen because the low winning bid
totals might be embarrassing.

- Ed Kyle


Embarrassing why? What do you think is the fair market of an orbiter
stripped of engines? And why would someone want one without engines?
Or with engines for that matter? The FMV of a 25 year old airframe is
usually determined by the scrap metal buyers at the boneyard anyway.
:-/

--
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www.angryherb.net

  #4  
Old September 30th 05, 10:14 PM
Bob Haller
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KSC, JSC, Smithsonian.

Thats assuming all 3 survive, which sadly I doubt

It will take another lost vehicle and crew to end the program

  #5  
Old September 30th 05, 10:59 PM
ed kyle
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Herb Schaltegger wrote:
On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:20:56 -0500, ed kyle wrote
(in article .com):

Braxus wrote:
When they do retire the shuttle fleet whether sooner or later, what is to
happen to the shuttles at that point? I can't see them all ending up at the
Smithsonian, so have they have plans to place them somewhere? I can imagine
one may stay at Kennedy and one in Houston.


I would like to see one in the Smithsonian, and the
others stripped of engines and offered for sale at
auction to the highest bidder, with the money going
back to the taxpayers.

But it won't happen because the low winning bid
totals might be embarrassing.

- Ed Kyle


Embarrassing why? What do you think is the fair market of an orbiter
stripped of engines? And why would someone want one without engines?
Or with engines for that matter? The FMV of a 25 year old airframe is
usually determined by the scrap metal buyers at the boneyard anyway.
:-/


The orbiters might be worth something as tourist
attractions - or maybe as props on the wall of one
of those theme restaurants (I saw a biplane tied to
the ceiling of one such place - an interesting
conversation piece, but the food was less than
memorable). Maybe they could *be* restaurants,
the way that old trollys were turned into diners.
Or maybe someone could try cutting them into
small pieces that could be sold off for profit.
(I own a piece of the Explorer 1 service tower
that was chopped up that way). Or maybe they
could be used to carry passengers on really fast,
short glider rides.

- Ed Kyle

  #6  
Old September 30th 05, 11:24 PM
Brian Thorn
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On 30 Sep 2005 13:20:56 -0700, "ed kyle" wrote:

I would like to see one in the Smithsonian, and the
others stripped of engines and offered for sale at
auction to the highest bidder, with the money going
back to the taxpayers.

But it won't happen because the low winning bid
totals might be embarrassing.


And because its illegal... they'll become property of the Smithsonian
per the NASA charter...

Brian
  #7  
Old September 30th 05, 11:31 PM
Brian Thorn
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On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 11:28:36 -0700, "Braxus"
wrote:

When they do retire the shuttle fleet whether sooner or later, what is to
happen to the shuttles at that point? I can't see them all ending up at the
Smithsonian, so have they have plans to place them somewhere? I can imagine
one may stay at Kennedy and one in Houston.


We talked about this a week or two ago. My guess is...

Discovery replaces Enterprise at the National Air & Space Museum's
Udvar-Hazy Center (Dulles Annex).

Enterprise transfered to Edwards AFB / NASA Dryden Flight Research
Center, California.

Atlantis remains at Kennedy Space Center, Florida as centerpiece of a
new Space Shuttle Center similar to the Apollo-Saturn V Center.

Endeavour to Johnson Space Center in Houston.

However, others have reported that it might be very difficult to get
any of the Shuttles to Johnson Space Center due to road and bridge
clearance issues. In that case, Endeavour may wind up at the Air Force
Museum in Dayton, Ohio or Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville,
Alabama.

Brian

  #8  
Old October 1st 05, 09:09 PM
Jorge R. Frank
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Brian Thorn wrote in
:

On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 11:28:36 -0700, "Braxus"
wrote:

When they do retire the shuttle fleet whether sooner or later, what is
to happen to the shuttles at that point? I can't see them all ending
up at the Smithsonian, so have they have plans to place them
somewhere? I can imagine one may stay at Kennedy and one in Houston.


We talked about this a week or two ago. My guess is...

Discovery replaces Enterprise at the National Air & Space Museum's
Udvar-Hazy Center (Dulles Annex).

Enterprise transfered to Edwards AFB / NASA Dryden Flight Research
Center, California.

Atlantis remains at Kennedy Space Center, Florida as centerpiece of a
new Space Shuttle Center similar to the Apollo-Saturn V Center.

Endeavour to Johnson Space Center in Houston.

However, others have reported that it might be very difficult to get
any of the Shuttles to Johnson Space Center due to road and bridge
clearance issues. In that case, Endeavour may wind up at the Air Force
Museum in Dayton, Ohio or Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville,
Alabama.


If the USAF gets an orbiter, it would most likely be Discovery since that
was the one destined for VAFB. As far as I'm concerned, however, the USAF
forfeited any claim to an orbiter when it pulled out of the program.

Regardless of the accessibility of JSC, I still think it's more likely that
Houston will get an orbiter than Dayton or Huntsville. It could be stored
in a hangar at Ellington Field while a permanent building is constructed
for it, the same way that Enterprise was stored at Dulles while Udvar-Hazy
was built.


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JRF

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  #9  
Old October 2nd 05, 12:14 AM
Brian Thorn
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On 01 Oct 2005 20:09:36 GMT, "Jorge R. Frank"
wrote:

If the USAF gets an orbiter, it would most likely be Discovery since that
was the one destined for VAFB. As far as I'm concerned, however, the USAF
forfeited any claim to an orbiter when it pulled out of the program.


I thought about that, but I don't see NASA or the Smithsonian sending
the cream of the crop to Dayton. Just no way in hell, I think.
Discovery is the fleet leader, and is easily the most famous of the
surviving orbiters, thanks to the two RTFs and the John Glenn flight.
The two places where she would get the most exposure would be the
Udvar-Hazy or Kennedy Space Center. So she's destined for one or the
other, I believe.

I could see them giving Atlantis to the Air Force Museum, since
Atlantis actually flew a few military missions whereas Endeavour never
really did (unless you count the quasi-military SRL.)

If the Smithsonian decides not to move Enterprise, then Discovery
would certainly stay at Kennedy Space Center. NASA will not hand her
over to anyone else, not even the Air Force, I think. I doubt the Air
Force Museum will get a Shuttle at all, unless the cost of getting one
to Houston is astronomical.

Brian
  #10  
Old October 2nd 05, 03:04 AM
Andrew Lotosky
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Brian Thorn wrote:
On Fri, 30 Sep 2005 11:28:36 -0700, "Braxus"
wrote:


Enterprise transfered to Edwards AFB / NASA Dryden Flight Research
Center, California.


How about mounting Enterprise to NASA 905 for permenant display?

I doubt NASA will need both SCA's once STS closes shop.

-A.L.

 




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