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Space Shuttles for sale, says NASA

post #1 of 31
1/20/10 at 6:37pm
Thread Starter 
Just 28.2 million, guys!

But you will still need a rather large bank balance to purchase the Discovery Space Shuttle, which is being sold off by Nasa for $28.2 m (£17.7m).

The soon-to-be redundant shuttle was the ultimate boy's toy, flying faster and higher than any other machine in history. It was originally worth $42 million (£25.8 m) but the price has plummeted to take in the cost of hauling the monster from the Kennedy Space Centre to a major US airport.

Discovery, which has completed 37 missions into space and 5,247 orbits, has already been promised to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, but shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour are still available, the Independent reports.
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post #2 of 31
1/20/10 at 6:42pm
If I had that kind of money to spend, I'd want a real space ship, not an orbiter. The space shuttle is so lame!
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post #3 of 31
1/20/10 at 6:46pm
Lea Thompson and Kelly Preston: now is your chance to recapture your former glory!
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post #4 of 31
1/20/10 at 6:47pm
There is no way that Richard Branson is not buying one of these. It would be the ultimate prop for the plaza of the main Virgin Galactic station.
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post #5 of 31
1/20/10 at 8:45pm
You just know someone is going to buy this, and try to fly it (perhaps selling berths on space flights to rich people), and it's gonna crash.
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post #6 of 31
1/20/10 at 9:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
You just know someone is going to buy this, and try to fly it (perhaps selling berths on space flights to rich people), and it's gonna crash.
I doubt you could legally fly it or get licensed to take it into space if you're an American. And I wonder if they'd really ever sell it to anyone outside the country who would possibly turn around and just sell the thing to Bin Laden or the Chinese.

I bet you're essentially buying a prop you're not allowed to fly
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post #7 of 31
1/20/10 at 9:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
I doubt you could legally fly it or get licensed to take it into space if you're an American. And I wonder if they'd really ever sell it to anyone outside the country who would possibly turn around and just sell the thing to Bin Laden or the Chinese.

I bet you're essentially buying a prop you're not allowed to fly
It's a glider...Damn thing can't take off...

I'm sure about 85% of the components FOUND in the Space Shuttle are made from Chine, no secret there. Plus, they'll have to find replacement parts on e-bay to fix anything that breaks.

I'm like kind of curious to see what the hell Bin Laden would do with a Space Shuttle..
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post #8 of 31
1/20/10 at 10:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
You just know someone is going to buy this, and try to fly it (perhaps selling berths on space flights to rich people), and it's gonna crash.
That's why I'm hiring our own Frank Cobretti (King of the Skies!) to fly this puppy. You laugh, aye, and you may mock, but as soon as I win the lottery...
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post #9 of 31
1/20/10 at 10:37pm
Hugo Drax has a bid in

And you're wrong about the Shuttle being made in China..US DoD contractors built that puppy!

Surprised that Discovery had so few flights
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post #10 of 31
1/20/10 at 11:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
I'm like kind of curious to see what the hell Bin Laden would do with a Space Shuttle..
Figure out its weaknesses, I'd say, in preparation for some space sabotage. Assuming we're using the same model & they can find engineers who understand what they're looking at, this could be disastrous.
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post #11 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:09am
Some people plant trees and shrubs, others buy lawn gnomes and plastic flamingos... James Cameron decorates his yard with a space shuttle.

You know he's thinking about it.
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post #12 of 31
1/21/10 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timothy225 View Post
You laugh, aye, and you may mock, but as soon as I win the lottery...
...then it's Christmastime in the Cobretti household!
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post #13 of 31
1/21/10 at 11:04am
I'd buy it, convert it to a land vehicle and run Hummers off the road.

Ooh, I'd also back it up to the houses of my enemies and fire the thrusters.

My birthday's coming up. I'm just saying.
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post #14 of 31
1/21/10 at 11:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
Figure out its weaknesses, I'd say, in preparation for some space sabotage. Assuming we're using the same model & they can find engineers who understand what they're looking at, this could be disastrous.
NASA's selling it because the space shuttle program is over. Terrorists are welcome to waste all the time they want on sabotaging it.
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post #15 of 31
1/21/10 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by IggytheBorg View Post
Figure out its weaknesses, I'd say, in preparation for some space sabotage. Assuming we're using the same model & they can find engineers who understand what they're looking at, this could be disastrous.
You're kidding, right?

edit: what Count Floyd said
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post #16 of 31
1/21/10 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
It's a glider...Damn thing can't take off.....
I know that. That was kind of my point. I doubt a civilian would ever get a license for a space launch (or that a civilian would be able to build a giant rocket without first buying a one way ticket to Guantanamo)

Even if they used the SM:RETURNS method of space launch, I doubt it would fly with the Government (no pun intended)

Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
I'm sure about 85% of the components FOUND in the Space Shuttle are made from Chine, no secret there. ..Plus, they'll have to find replacement parts on e-bay to fix anything that breaks...
Do you really think that a US Space shuttle would not have some utility to the Chinese?

Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
I'm like kind of curious to see what the hell Bin Laden would do with a Space Shuttle..
You are? Frankly I don't even want to imagine what uses the worlds most dangerous terrorist would come up with for a space craft

Have you not watched a single Bond movie? Osama is like the Hugo Drax of Islam!*


*hat tip to the other person for reminding me about drax, so I could make that joke
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post #17 of 31
1/21/10 at 1:21pm
Friend of mine said he'd take it to a trailer park, put it up on blocks, and live in it. Just because.

I do like Misfit's suggestion. I'd add headers and creggies, put a ground effects kit on it (neon lights!), fuck with the hydraulics so I could bounce it up and down, get a humorous sounding horn, throw on some rims, and add some bumper stickers on it: "You wouldn't BELIEVE what my other car is!" "How's my driving?" "Better than your POS" "Honk if you love Jesus", etc.
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post #18 of 31
1/21/10 at 1:27pm
Branson did try to buy the Concorde Fleet when BA retired them. I can definatly see him buying one.
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post #19 of 31
1/21/10 at 1:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
Do you really think that a US Space shuttle would not have some utility to the Chinese?
I'm sure they will have their own soon enough, hell, the shuttle is pretty much 1970's tech..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
You are? Frankly I don't even want to imagine what uses the worlds most dangerous terrorist would come up with for a space craft

Have you not watched a single Bond movie? Osama is like the Hugo Drax of Islam!*
This is WHY I'm curious to see what he'll do with it!



James Cameron? How about Michael Bay?
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post #20 of 31
1/21/10 at 1:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
I'm sure they will have their own soon enough, hell, the shuttle is pretty much 1970's tech..?
They could run a false flag mission to the international space station! Does the threat of space piracy do nothing to deter you?

In all seriousness, I have no idea what they'd do with it, but I'm not a Chi-com spy. I bet it would have value to them though

PS: No Tom Hanks/Ron Howard speculation? I bet they'd but it sooner than Bay would
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post #21 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:04pm
Nic Cage must rue the day he bought that second castle. This could be his.
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post #22 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Moonrocket View Post
...
Given your screennames, you two talking about a spaceshuttle is like listening to lovers arguing about the right condom.
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post #23 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jan View Post
Given your screennames, you two talking about a spaceshuttle is like listening to lovers arguing about the right condom.
The space shuttle could never get you to the moon. It's not even a space ship. It's an orbiter. If Moon Base Nick wants to build his Moon Base, he's going to need at least a LEM
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post #24 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
The space shuttle could never get you to the moon. It's not even a space ship. It's an orbiter. If Moon Base Nick wants to build his Moon Base, he's going to need at least a LEM
I have six!
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post #25 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick View Post
I have six!
Very cool!

They're all still up there, floating around or stuck on the moon, so they're there for the taking if you have means to collect them!
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post #26 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
Very cool!

They're all still up there, floating around or stuck on the moon, so they're there for the taking if you have means to collect them!

My funding for another Saturn V has hit a snag...damn student loans!
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post #27 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:42pm
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post #28 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:43pm
MBN,

You could always pull a Billy Bob Thorton
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post #29 of 31
1/21/10 at 2:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Excellent obscure reference!
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post #30 of 31
1/21/10 at 4:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Princess Kate View Post
The space shuttle could never get you to the moon. It's not even a space ship. It's an orbiter. If Moon Base Nick wants to build his Moon Base, he's going to need at least a LEM
Stanislow?
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post #31 of 31
1/21/10 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham View Post
Stanislow?
Hm?
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