Spaceflight Now has an amazing and bittersweet series of pictures showing NASA technicians taking apart the Orbiter Discovery for cleaning and decommissioning.
The parts need to be cleaned of potentially noxious chemicals before the Orbiter goes wherever it is it’s going; NASA is selling the fleet to museums or other institutions which can guarantee they will be displayed properly.
It’s sad, but the future is still out there. That future is a little shaky and uncertain, but still holds lots of promise.
Tip o’ the nose cone to Fark. Image credit: NASA.
