“Other cities have auctioned statues of cows, guitars, bears and just about anything else you could imagine,” said Space Shuttle Astronaut Robert Crippen, who flew the first space shuttle mission in 1981 with astronaut John Young. “The space shuttle is our icon, the country’s icon; and we’re proud to add these statues to the mix.”  

The Shuttle statues launched in 2008 to raise funds for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and pay tribute to NASA's 50th Anniversary and longest running manned vehicle – the space shuttle.  After making their re-entry from an 8-month tour at local businesses and attractions around Florida’s Space Coast, the Shuttles are back together and ready to receive their final flight coordinates at the October 8 auction conclusion. 

Each statue is showcased online at www.AstronautScholarship.org/shuttles, accompanied by a detailed description and several pictures. Close to one hundred people have already registered to bid in this truly unique auction and hundreds more are expected before the auction close.

Auction proceeds benefit the nonprofit Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, furthering its mission of providing scholarships to top science and technology college students nationwide.

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America’s original Mercury astronauts. Its mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in these fields. ASF has awarded more than $2.8 million to deserving students nationwide. Today, more than 80 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs have joined in this educational endeavor. For more information, go to http://www.astronautscholarship.org/.