posted 09-28-2011 09:06 PM               

Disposition of space shuttle payload canisters

On Sept. 27, 2011, payload canister #1 was moved from the high bay of the Canister Rotation Facility to the Reutilization, Recycling and Marketing Facility on Ransom Road at Kennedy Space Center to await decommissioning.

Two payload canisters were used to transport space shuttle payloads to the launch pad for installation in the orbiters' cargo bays. They are now being decommissioned following the end of the space shuttle program.

Each canister weighs 110,000 pounds and is 65 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 18 feet, 7 inches high.

The canisters were prescreened through NASA Headquarters as possible artifacts, but their size makes them difficult to transport to locations off the center. Federal and state agencies will now be given the opportunity to screen the canisters for potential use before a final decision is made on their disposition.

Credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann