Space Shuttles For Sale

According to MSNBC, "NASA's soon-to-be-retired space shuttles are up for grabs."

NASA recently announced that it is looking for the best way to display its three remaining shuttles once the fleet stops flying in 2010. While one shuttle will most likely head to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, the other two would go into storage at Kennedy Space Center until a decision is made for their final destination. NASA has been in touch with schools, science museums and "other appropriate organizations."

Before you decide you'd like a space shuttle in your backyard, you should know that some conditions apply. First, NASA will only consider indoor, climate-controlled displays. Second, the pricetag could be prohibitive. NASA says it will cost at least $42 million to get each shuttle ready and get it where it needs to go and possibly more. That cost includes $6 million to ferry the spaceship atop a modified jumbo jet to the closest major airport. Getting the shuttle from that airport to your facility will crank the cost up even more depending on how far away you are.

There are less pricey alternatives. You could pick up a space shuttle main engine for anywhere between $400,000 and $800,000 plus shipping. By the way, if you do buy a shuttle, it won't have any engines, so don't expect a joy-flight.

Image Credits: NASA