Author Topic: Atlantis First To Retire? (Read 5105 times)

brettreds2k · « **on:** 02/08/2010 12:35 pm »

Is Atlantis going to be the first they retire? If so once she returns home, What steps will be taken to retire her? Like, what will be done to the shuttle to retire it? Does anyone know where they will go once retired? I hope one stays at the Kennedy Space Center on display, But I hope they put it in a building to display and not leave it outside, to get the weather elements daily.

psloss · « **Reply #1 on:** 02/08/2010 12:42 pm »

Quote from: brettreds2k on 02/08/2010 12:35 pm

Is Atlantis going to be the first they retire? If so once she returns home, What steps will be taken to retire her? Like, what will be done to the shuttle to retire it? Does anyone know where they will go once retired? I hope one stays at the Kennedy Space Center on display, But I hope they put it in a building to display and not leave it outside, to get the weather elements daily.

There's a long-running thread for this:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=4078.0

Can't speak to the detailed plan for decommissioning the orbiters, but Atlantis is the LON vehicle for the last mission. Even though she will "finish" first, she will still be processed for STS-335 up through the last launch. The way things look right now, Endeavour would not have any responsibilities after she finishes STS-134.

brettreds2k · « **Reply #2 on:** 02/08/2010 02:04 pm »

I thought they have determined with the new budget that the LON-335 will not happen now.

psloss · « **Reply #3 on:** 02/08/2010 02:09 pm »

Quote from: brettreds2k on 02/08/2010 02:04 pm

I thought they have determined with the new budget that the LON-335 will not happen now.

No, it's the possibility of flying a STS-135 mission, regardless of launch on need for STS-133. That effort appears to be suspended or ended altogether. As it stands, 335 will only fly in the unlikely LON case.

brettreds2k · « **Reply #4 on:** 02/08/2010 02:14 pm »

Gotcha, Thanks!!

I still hate the thought of NASA thanks to Obama not having any shuttle replacement its looking now for atleast 10-20 years, and I wish they could keep the 3 remaining orbiters in service. They dont belong on the ground =(

K466 · « **Reply #5 on:** 02/11/2010 04:23 pm »

Quote from: brettreds2k on 02/08/2010 02:14 pm

Gotcha, Thanks!!

I still hate the thought of NASA thanks to Obama not having any shuttle replacement its looking now for atleast 10-20 years, and I wish they could keep the 3 remaining orbiters in service. They dont belong on the ground =(

Just think of how many new orbiters we could have built with that $700 billion bailout!

vt_hokie · « **Reply #6 on:** 02/22/2010 06:46 am »

Quote from: K466 on 02/11/2010 04:23 pm

Just think of how many new orbiters we could have built with that $700 billion bailout!

Sickening, isn't it?

clb22 · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/22/2010 06:59 am »

Quote from: vt_hokie on 02/22/2010 06:46 am

Just think of how many new orbiters we could have built with that $700 billion bailout!

Probably 0. TARP consisted mostly of loans with high interest payments. NASA would have had to pay the money back or go bankrupt after building new orbiters. As of today, TARP was majoritly a profitable endeavour (the banks paid the loans back with high interest).