Delayed Launch Dates Have Museums, Cities Waiting And Watching

What museum with any connection to space or space flight wouldn't want a retired Space Shuttle as part of its collection? But with only three shuttles to disburse, and one of them promised to the Smithsonian, the competition for the orbiters is already fierce.

Discovery Lands At KSC In Florida

And NASA is still not sure when they'll stop flying.

Manifest delays in the final two remaining scheduled shuttle missions have pushed the final expected flight into February of next year, and NASA spokesman Mike Curie told CollectSpace.com that "They haven't established a new date" for the retirement decision.

So far, 21 organizations have made a pitch for one of the retired shuttles, according to MSNBC, including NASA visitors centers in Florida and Texas. Many have involved their members of Congress, which has placed a decidedly political overtone on the entire process.

At least one group, the National Aviation Heritage Alliance in Dayton, OH, says Florida and Texas have made an "end run" around the process by championing a section of the 2010 NASA authorization bill which gives "priority consideration" to facilities in regions where there is "an historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations or processing" of the orbiters. Facilities in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Washington State are all staging aggressive public relations campaigns in an effort to sway the decision their way.

Atlantis Rolls Out At KSC Florida

Meanwhile, it is not certain that February will be the end of the program. Bills working their way through both chambers of Congress call for an additional shuttle mission to fly not earlier than July, 2011. So those hoping to have a retired shuttle to draw people through the turnstiles may still have a long wait ahead.

FMI: www.nasa.gov