"The vehicle must have flown in space and carried astronauts, which technically could also mean the Apollo 10 capsule at London's Science Museum. Working on the basis that it is Discovery to be moved (Cornyn and Cruz certainly think so), the Smithsonian issued a warning last week that dismantling the vehicle for shipment represented the most cost-effective approach, but it would still cost between $120 million and $150 million before considering a facility in which to display the orbiter."
"Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have hit back at a Smithsonian memo on relocating Space Shuttle Discovery, claiming the institute's cost estimates are "more than ten times higher" than quotes from private logistics firms. Cornyn's office has called the claims "lies," and the Senators' letter says the estimates "are more than ten times higher than quotes from experienced private-sector logistics firms.""
Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz challenged a Smithsonian memo about relocating a flown, crewed space vehicle widely presumed to be Space Shuttle Discovery. The Smithsonian warned that dismantling the orbiter would be the most cost-effective shipping option and estimated costs between $120 million and $150 million, excluding display facilities. Cornyn and Cruz contend those figures are more than ten times higher than private logistics quotes, suggesting $12–15 million as realistic. A spending bill currently allocates $85 million for moving and displaying a flown spacecraft without naming Discovery. The senators labeled wing-removal advice misinformation and cited preservation experts supporting relocation.
Read at Theregister
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]