According to recent news reports, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama wants to give away a piece of history — an engineering test article of a Saturn I Block I booster. The catch? You’ll need to pay to haul it off, which will cost about $250,000. According to C|Net, the offer appears to be for museums and schools, but it’s likely that price tag would probably scare most private buyers off anyway.
On the other hand, if you are a museum, library, school, or university, you can score cheap or free NASA stuff using their GSAXcess portal. In general, you do have to pay shipping. For example, a flexible thermal blanket from the shuttle costs $37.28. A heat tile runs about $25.
The picture, by the way, is a 1965 shot of a test article at MSFC, so it is possible it is the very one that is up for grabs. You wouldn’t think there would be too many test articles still laying around from that era, so this is something of a rarity.
If you really want to buy old NASA gear — or possibly useful gear from other agencies — the GSA has several methods to take your money. A quick search on GSA Auctions found some sort of NASA control panel that was already up to about $1,300. On the other hand, a lot of two oscilloscopes (a Fluke and a Tektronix 425) was only up to $25. You can even buy a lighthouse, if you really want one.
Even though we’ve reported on the death of surplus, it is still around if you know where to look. While you might not find obsolete Russian tunnel diodes in a US gov’t auction, you might just find what you need. If what you need is a rocket engine.
Thanks for the tip [Allen M.]
You are right. That booster would make an excellent addition to an aviation or space museum. And the shipping might be less than $250,000, depending on the distance and facilities at both ends. Huntsville is on the Tennessee River, so transport by barge is possible. That could save some money.
How much would a big parachute and a bunch of rocket fuel cost?
Ironically that was the original plan for reusing the Saturn I first stage.
http://www.astronautix.com/j/junov-a.html
“$250,000!? Nah, just strap it to my roof, I’ve got good shocks.”
B^)
You beat me to it, and did better!
Still miss the good old days when you could go to nearest military base and spot bid on a 100 cfm microwave air tube dehydrator and unit and get it for $10.50 system now days rigged for dealers
“You can even buy a lighthouse, if you really want one.”
What’s the S&H on that?
If you have shipping on it, it has failed as a lighthouse.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_and_naval_vessel_urban_legend
And then you have THIS below all that.
“Elbow of Cross Ledge Light, a New Jersey lighthouse that was hit by a ship in 1953
Moreton Bay Pile Light, an Australian lighthouse twice hit by ships”
I can see why people think the joke’s real.
I figure a startup like Rocket labs or Firefly Aerospace would want to buy it so they can study it.