NASA’s garage seems to be full of old stuff the space agency doesn’t really need anymore, like used space shuttles and spare main engines. So it decided to somehow get rid of them, donating one orbiter to the Smithsonian and making other items available to any museum, educationally inclined institution or “appropriate organization”, provided they have some millions to spare.  Apparently, shipping merchandise doesn’t come cheap when we’re talking about delivering space shuttles to buyers’ doorsteps.

The agency’s official selling line is that, considering the historic significance held by these slightly antiquated pieces of technology, they deserve to retire in special places where they can be admired and taken care of in an appropriate manner. Here’s the official timetable: “Orbiters would be available for donation no earlier than September 30, 2011. NASA desires to ferry the Orbiters to their final destinations no later than May 31, 2012.”

Still, it would seen that future President Obama could put a stop to this if he so wishes and NASA must be ready to comply, after the current administration and president step down. Anyway, according to the Register, those interested in acquiring a shuttle or an engine should be prepared to cough up $42 million (cost of decommissioning and delivery) for a shuttle, or between $400,000 and $800,000 for an engine, exclusive of shipping.

As expected, there will be a whole lot of restrictions, requirements and paperwork involved, especially when it comes to taking a shuttle orbiter outside U.S. borders. And those who actually get a shuttle or something close to it will have to put it in a special “climate-controlled indoor display space”, not just dump it in their backyard next to the barbecue grill.