Well the Shuttle is now historic aviation… I was watching Atlantis landing earlier today and remembered watching the first shuttle launch in 1981. Thank goodness for streaming video coverage from NASA – excellent as there’s no coverage on the news unless there’s a problem.
Anyway the commentary said Atlantis is being prepared for its flight across the Atlantic, there to be installed in the National Cold War Exhibition.
By: TwinOtter23 - 27th May 2010 at 14:14
:diablo: Perhaps they might dock it on the side of the new BoB tower @ Hendon! 😀
By: plough - 27th May 2010 at 14:00
Anyway the commentary said Atlantis is being prepared for its flight across the Atlantic, there to be installed in the National Cold War Exhibition.
Really???
In public at least, there hasn’t been any official word of exactly where any of the orbiters will end up (although the Smithsonian have apparently been given first refusal on Discovery – but the Smithsonian say they cannot fund the $28.8), but there are said to be more than 20 interested parties that have made serious approaches to NASA.
Most of the ‘talk’ hasn’t really floated the possibility of one going outside the US; there are a number of potential homes over there that have said they either have or can get the necessary funds. As Black Knight says; where would Cosford be finding the money from??
In any case, Atlantis is to be prepared for another mission – to be used as the stand-by emergency recovery vehicle for the crew of Endeavour should something serious go wrong on the final currently scheduled shuttle mission. There is also talk coming from within NASA of possibly using Atlantis for another full mission in any case.
There are also moves in Congress and elsewhere to extend the shuttle program further, which would mean none of them will go to museums for a while anyway.
By: Black Knight - 27th May 2010 at 08:34
Do they not mean the new cold war museum opening in Germany? Can’t imagine any U.K museum shelling out the 20 odd million quid for 1 😮
By: pagen01 - 27th May 2010 at 08:17
I’m guessing it will land at Shawbury and be roaded in to Cosford:D:D
By: RPSmith - 27th May 2010 at 08:04
They can’t mean Cosford can they? Where would it fit?????
Would be nice to have a retired Shuttle here in the UK though – better at the National Space Centre?
Roger Smith.
By: Bager1968 - 26th May 2010 at 23:57
Speaking of Atlantis… on May 16, 2010, in company with the International Space Station, Shuttle Atlantis crossed between the Earth and the Sun.
Here is a pic of the event… if you click on the pic it opens a VERY large version of the pic… you’ll probably want to download it!
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/05/18/iss-shuttle-transit-the-sun/
By: pagen01 - 26th May 2010 at 21:20
Anyway the commentary said Atlantis is being prepared for its flight across the Atlantic, there to be installed in the National Cold War Exhibition.
No wonder they haven’t got room for a Nimrod!
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May 26, 2010 at 5:53 pm