How Should Retired Space Shuttles, Main Engines Be Displayed?
NASA has issued a Request for Information, or RFI, seeking ideas from educational institutions, science museums and other appropriate organizations about the community’s ability to acquire and publicly display the space shuttle orbiters and space shuttle main engines after the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program.
Sponsored by NASA’s Office of Infrastructure, the RFI seeks input from appropriate officials and decision-makers from museums, science centers, institutions and other organizations dedicated to education or educational outreach with experience in public display of space hardware and nationally-recognized historical artifacts. NASA will use information gained from this RFI to develop strategies for eventual placement of two space shuttle orbiters and a minimum of six unassembled space shuttle main engine display "kits."
NASA’s primary goal of this effort is to collect a wide variety of perspectives about whether eligible recipient organizations are capable of appropriately displaying the shuttle orbiters and main engines, and bearing the full cost of preparing the hardware for display and transportation to its final destination. The RFI also seeks ideas about how the shuttle orbiters and shuttle main engines can best be used in the broad national interest to inspire the American public and students in particular. Organizations interested in responding to the RFI must provide their input to NASA by March 17, 2009.
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Image Caption: STS126-S-047 (30 Nov. 2008) — Space Shuttle Endeavour’s main landing gear touches down at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, concluding a successful mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour landed at 1:25 p.m. (PST) on Nov. 30, 2008 to end the STS-126 mission, completing its 16-day journey of over 6.6 million miles in space. The landing was diverted to California due to marginal weather at the Kennedy Space Center. The main landing gear touched down at 1:25:06 p.m. (PST). The nose landing gear touched down at 1:25:21 p.m. and wheel stop was at 1:26:03 p.m. The STS-126 mission was the 27th flight to the International Space Station, carrying equipment and supplies in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The mission featured four spacewalks and work to prepare the space station to house six crewmembers for long-duration missions. Onboard were astronauts Chris Ferguson, commander; Eric Boe, pilot; Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff, all mission specialists.
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On the Net:
- For additional information and to view the RFI, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/transition
- For additional information about the shuttle program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle