NASA Campus for Sale in North Carolina

There’s an unusual opportunity available! An abandoned NASA campus in North Carolina is now listed for $30 million, promising a “ready-to-go getaway to the stars” across 192 acres, according to various online listings.

Originally constructed in 1963 during the peak of the space race with the Soviet Union, this closed base functioned as a satellite tracking facility and helped secure the first images of Earth from space, as noted in the listings. Additionally, it served as a significant satellite communications hub for the National Security Agency throughout the Cold War.

The campus, which is known as the Pisgah Astronomical Institute, spans 192 acres and boasts over 30 buildings. These include a welcome center, library, exhibition space, a renovated cafeteria with 200 seats, and dormitories for staff.

Interestingly, the property includes a variety of outdated scientific technology. Among the assets, there are 25 optical telescopes, a planetarium, a parabolic dish, a data center, a laboratory, and a wireless array.

Part of the $30 million price tag encompasses 500,000 acres of pristine protected forest, part of the Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County. It’s quite stunning, really.

“We’re all just a bit thrilled because, well, you don’t come across something like this every day, and we probably won’t see it again,” shared Robbie Perkins, NAI Piedmont Triad market president.

Perkins mentioned that the government poured roughly $250 million into constructing the facility back in the ’60s, a sum that would approximate to about $2.7 billion today.

However, the campus isn’t simply lying idle. Currently owned and operated by a nonprofit, it serves various purposes, including STEM education, research, data archiving, and event rentals.

Perkins has already noted interest from worldwide buyers, though he kept quiet about the specifics of any big-name corporations involved. Ownership would, of course, need the green light from the PARI Board of Directors and the North Carolina Attorney General.