NASA's space shuttle program will keep going until next year. The space agency made it official Thursday after weeks of hints of launch delays. Managers agreed to postpone the next-to-last shuttle launch until Nov. 1. Read more
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum is pursuing a soon-to-be retired orbiter. NASA is looking for permanent homes for three of its space shuttles, and Air and Space Museum Executive Director Jim Bridenstine believes that the museum meets the criteria. NASA is eyeing museums or educational institutions with an 8,000- to 10,000-foot runway and wants to be sure that the institution could move and handle a space shuttle after delivery, Bridenstine said. If the Tulsa museum were to be selected, a proposed $100 million addition to its campus would be built to house the vessel.
NASA is looking for ideas on where and how best to display its space shuttles once they stop flying in a few years. It's put out a call to schools, science museums and "other appropriate organisations" that might be interested in showcasing one of the three remaining shuttles.
NASA has issued a Request for Information, or RFI, seeking ideas from educational institutions, science museums and other appropriate organisations 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.