From the old shuttle "Endeavor" in the museum removed the tanks for the ISS

A limited budget makes saving NASA administration. They even dismantle museum pieces for re-use of individual old components. It would seem easier to order the production of new parts for some funny couple of tens of thousands of dollars.

The Endeavor shuttle, which is on display at the California Science Center, suffered from NASA engineers. Four tanks were removed from it, which will be used as drinking water reservoirs at the International Space Station.

Each tank is approximately 90x30 cm and weighs about 18 kg in empty form. The tanks are installed deep inside the shuttle, so the appearance of the museum exhibit will not be affected, said Jeff Rudolph, president of the California Science Center.


Space Shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center
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By the way, the same tanks in May 2015 were removed from the other shuttle "Atlantis", which is on display at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are also used in the new water storage system on the ISS.

Even retiring, the old technology continues to be beneficial and participates in new space programs, albeit not entirely, but in separate parts.

"While there is no schedule on when the tanks will be sent to the ISS, details of the design, certification and development are in the development stage," said NASA spokesman Daniel Hewet (Daniel Huot).

Endeavor is NASA’s fifth and final space shuttle. From 1992 to 2011, he made 25 space missions, spent more than 299 days in space and made 4671 revolution around the Earth.