Want a Used Space Shuttle? Better Comply With ITAR

NASA is preparing for the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in late 2010 and has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to obtain input from educational institutions, science museums, and other organizations interested in acquiring and displaying the Space Shuttle Orbiters and Space Shuttle Main Engines.

NASA estimates the total cost to be incurred by a recipient organization for one Space Shuttle Orbiter is $42 million, which includes the $6 million delivery fee for the flight to the closest airport with an 8,000 to 10,000 foot long runway.

The RFI states that that organizations that ultimately receive a Space Shuttle Orbiter or shuttle engines must abide by the following International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions placed on the items:

The Orbiters and SSMEs fall under the purview of the U.S. Munitions List (USML), as defined in the ITAR (22 CFR120-130) and are export controlled. The Space Shuttle Orbiters and SSMEs shall not be transferred to foreign persons (ITAR 120.16), in the U.S. or abroad, or exported out of the U.S., without notification to NASA and the specific approval/export license from the Department of State Directorate for Defense Trade Controls (http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/). Violations of these regulations are punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.