Space Shuttles for Sale

The United States' Space Shuttle fleet has received a price cut. The orbiters were recently offered for $42 million to museums and other institutions for display after the fleet is retired around the end of this year. The Shuttle Discovery will be going to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, but the Atlantis and Endeavour still need a home. With relatively few prospective buyers showing interest, the price has been discounted to $28.8 million. Engines were running $400k to $800k each, but are now available for the cost of shipping and handling.

The lower price is based on NASA’s estimate of the cost for transporting a shuttle from Kennedy Space Center to a major airport, and for displaying it indoors in a climate-controlled building. The travel cost may vary based on location. NASA has moved up the delivery date to the latter half of 2011, instead of 2012.

Potential customers have until Feb. 19 to put in a request.