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In this image provided by NASA the space shuttle Endeavour, fresh from the STS-126 mission and mounted atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, flew over California's Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday Dec. 10, 2008.
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NASA's soon-to-be-retired space shuttles are up for grabs. The space agency said Wednesday it's 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 organizations" that might be interested in showcasing one of the three remaining shuttles.
NASA estimates it will cost about $42 million to get each shuttle ready and get it where it needs to go, and the final tab could end up much more.
The estimate includes $6 million to ferry the spaceship atop a modified jumbo jet to the closest major airport. But the price could skyrocket depending on how far the display site is from the airport. Only indoor, climate-controlled displays will be considered.
"The orbiters will not be disassembled for transportation or storage," NASA insists in its nine-page request for information.
One space shuttle appears headed to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The remaining two would be placed in storage at Kennedy Space Center until their final homes are decided.
If a space shuttle is too pricey, NASA is offering some of its shuttle main engines for anywhere between $400,000 and $800,000, not counting shipping costs.
The space shuttles, so you know, will not come with any main engines.
NASA plans to retire Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour by Sept. 30, 2010, in keeping with President George Bush's initiative calling for a return by astronauts to the moon by 2020. A transition team set up by President-elect Barack Obama is reviewing all the options, however, including the possibility of keeping the shuttles flying beyond 2010.
If that happens, then all space shuttle deals are off.
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(Agencies)
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美國宇航局三架幾年后將退役的航天飛機目前正接受公開投標。據美國宇航局于本周三介紹，這幾架航天飛機退役后將用于展覽，目前他們正公開招標，選擇最合適的展覽地和展覽方案。該機構已將招標信息告知學校、科技博物館及“其它相關機構”等可能對此感興趣的單位。
據美國宇航局估算，將每架航天飛機裝好并運至展覽地大約需花費4200萬美元，而且最終的費用可能會更高。
其中，將航天飛機放到改裝后的大型噴氣式飛機頂部并運送至最近的機場需花費600萬美元。但具體費用的多少還得取決于展地與機場的距離，如果離機場很遠，運費會更高。此外，展覽地點必須在室內，而且可調節溫度。
美國宇航局在長達九頁的招標書中強調“航天飛機不能拆卸運輸或存放。”
其中一架航天飛機將運往位于華盛頓的史密森研究院國家航空航天博物館，另外兩架在確定展覽地之前將被存放在肯尼迪航天中心。
如果無法承受整架航天飛機的價格，美國宇航局還可提供航天飛機的主發動機供展覽，價格在40萬美元至80萬美元之間，但不包含運費。
所以有意投標的單位要知道，整架航天飛機是不包括主發動機的。
美國宇航局的三架航天飛機——“發現號”、“亞特蘭蒂斯號”和“奮進號”將于2010年9月30日退役，以響應布什總統提出的2020年之前派美國宇航員重返月球的計劃。然而，新的總統當選人奧巴馬組建的過渡團隊目前正重新審核這些計劃，包括能否將航天飛機的服役期限延至2010年之后等。
如果航天飛機的服役期延長，那么所有這些展覽招投標將被取消。
（實習生許雅寧 英語點津姍姍編輯）
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