Museum plans bid for space shuttle
Updated on 19 December 2008
A British museum has announced plans to bid for a Nasa space shuttle when it is sold off in 2010.
The Endeavour is one of three space shuttles set to be sold by the American space agency when they are retired in less than two years' time.
London's Science Museum said it hoped to raise £30 million and submit a bid to buy the Endeavour to complement its Exploring Space gallery, which houses a collection of rockets and satellites.
The announcement comes after a request for information from Nasa seeking ideas from educational institutions and museums on how to acquire and display the three shuttles.
The museum said it had opted for the Endeavour because it shared its name with Captain James Cook's famous British ship.
The museum's director Professor Chris Rapley said: "The Science Museum is an organisation with a reputation for displaying world-famous artefacts, and with an extensive education and outreach programme we believe we meet Nasa's criteria and would be in a strong position to put in a bid for the Endeavour.
"We are now considering how to raise the funds and may even consider a public appeal. With the right support I'm very hopeful we can raise the £30m needed to bring the Endeavour to London where it can be enjoyed by our 2.7 million visitors every year."
The three orbiters, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, are expected to be retired by September 30 2010 in line with President George Bush's initiative calling for a return by astronauts to the moon by 2020.
Nasa is also offering some of its shuttle main engines, which are predicted to sell for between 400,000 dollars (£266,000) and 800,000 dollars (£531,000), not counting shipping costs.
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