Gallery: NASA's space shuttles get taken apart
The Space Shuttle program might be long over, but the spacecraft still needed to be readied for retirement. They need to be cleaned of toxic space goo, have their main engines replaced with replicas and have all types of technical folk poke at them to keep them from flying off into space in the middle of the night.
We've already showed you the 21 critical steps to getting a space shuttle ready for launch, now follow the shuttle through to see how it's decommissioned and carted off to museums across the U.S. for a hard-earned rest.
There are tons more photos over at The Atlantic, so be sure to give them a visit if want to see how the entire space shuttle decommissioning process unfolds. Trust me, it's worth it, if just for ogling all the shuttle porn.
Via The Atlantic
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Atlantis lights up for its last time before all power is cut from its system.
From afar, the space shuttles look kind of pristine and clean. But come on, these spacecraft went into space. Space is dirty!
Atlantis getting carted off to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for some heavy-duty cleaning.
The remote manipulator system (the huge mechanical arm that lifts payload from the payload bay) getting taken apart from the Endeavour.
Workers removing the shuttle's FRCS (forward reaction control system) from the Endeavour and shipping it off to New Mexico to be cleaned of toxic propellants.
The Atlantis' cargo bay airlock being gently lifted out. This is the door that astronauts use to travel between the shuttle and the ISS.
Endeavour awaiting its turn to get decommissioned in Florida.
Six "Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne space shuttle main engines" taken from the shuttles lined up. The shuttle museums will be fitted with replica engines and these will be repurposed for NASA's Space Launch System heavy lift rocket.
Replica engines being installed on the Discovery, the first of the remaining shuttles to get its eternal rest in a museum.
Beautiful. Hard to believe these guys were around for only 20 years.
The view from the Endeavour's cockpit.
Atlantis with her engines removed.
The Discovery's tail cone re-installed along with the new replica engines.
Inside of the tail cone are three menacing eyes. Just kidding, they're just the replica main engines!
The Endeavour ready for retirement.
Discovery (left) and Atlantis (right) going their separate ways.
Space Shuttles Endeavour (left) and Discovery (right) saying a quick hello and then goodbye before they both get picked apart.
A view from inside of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's airlock looking into the payload bay.
So long full-sized space shuttle external fuel tank displays. Time to make room for a real Space Shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center.
