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NASA To Retire Atlantis by 2008

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the end-of-the-line dept.

SirBruce writes "As reported by Space.com, Spaceflight Now, and elsewhere, NASA is now planning to retire the Space Shuttle Atlantis by 2008, after just 5 more flghts. By doing so, they would avoid a costly and time consuming scheduled overhaul, and could still fly the remaining 12 missions (17 total) with Discovery and Endeavour, which are just now completing their ODMPs (orbiter maintenance down period). Atlantis would be kept for spare parts to keep Discovery and Endeavour flying until the shuttle program is shut down in 2010."

5 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. I can see the SpaceShuttleTrader ad now: by IainMH · · Score: 4, Funny

    Space Shuttle, 89,908,732* miles on the clock. Spares or repairs.

    Phone: 202.358.0001

    *

  2. comments from Atlantis staff by sammy+baby · · Score: 4, Funny

    Doctor Weir, Atlantis' director, and Lieutenant Colonel Shepard, ranking military officer assigned to the project, were unreachable for comment. Doctor McKay, on the other hand, griped for several minutes without a pause about the "typically boneheaded" move, stopping only to eat an energy bar and mumbling something about low blood sugar.

  3. Re:Old rule. by PFI_Optix · · Score: 4, Funny

    Donate it to MIT. They'll find out if it will run Linux.

    You know you want to know.

    --
    120 characters for a sig? That's bloody useless.
  4. Bad idea! by MS_Word · · Score: 4, Funny

    We can't abandon atlantis while the wraith are still a threat!

  5. No, I rather doubt it... by suitepotato · · Score: 4, Funny

    NASA To Retire Atlantis by 2008

    I think Sci-Fi will keep it at least to 2009 or 2010.

    --
    If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)