NASA Gives Valuable Pieces to Columbus State University

NASA is donating millions of dollars of space shuttle parts to Columbus State University’s (CSU) Coca-Cola Space Science Center in Columbus, Georgia.

The gift is part of a program created by NASA for preserving artifacts from the Space Shuttle Program.

According to a press release from CSU, Lance Tankersley, Omnisphere Theatre director at CSU, learned last week that Columbus is slated to receive a treasure trove of shuttle artifacts. Items include a piece of the main engine nozzle weighing 4,300 pounds, an onboard computer, and an escape basket that astronauts would use from the launch pad.

A section of the 49-feet-long Orbiter’s wing and a window are two of the larger pieces. Nasa is also donating a biomedical console from the launch control room, a shuttle tire and a tool box. The items are worth more than $17 million.