For Sale: Space Food and Tiles From NASA

NASA's space shuttle program may have retired but a new recycling program is underway as the space agency has started selling space food and tiles to schools and universities.

NASA is offering processed space food and lightweight space tiles that once protected shuttles from extreme temperatures. The artifacts will be given to educational establishments on a first come, first serve basis.

Not only are we preserving a critical part of our nation's history, but we are reusing government property in an unexpected way by giving these NASA artifacts a second life in our nation's schools, Steven J. Kemp, commissioner of the General Service Administration's Federal Acquisition Service, said in a statement.

The price to mail the items was set at $23.40 for a package of Tiles for Teachers and $28.03 for a three-pack of food items, Space Food for Schools, since they are government property.

The space agency is offering other artifacts such as tires to educational establishments in cities that missed out on the competition for receiving the shuttle itself.

How to Apply:

Schools may request a tile at NASA's Historic Artifacts Prescreening Web site. Once at the site, go to the NASA Artifacts Prescreening Register block of information to register and receive your login ID and password.

Meanwhile, visitors to the Kansas Cosmophere Space Museum will have the opportunity to participate in a unique experience of touching a four billion year old rock moon, in an exhibition opened to the public by NASA on Thursday.

The rock, one of only eight authentic moon rocks that the public is allowed to touch and will be the featured item in a NASA traveling exhibit. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see featured NASA next generation space vehicles.