Move Space Shuttle Discovery to Texas

[JAFO]

Ars Technica: Senators try to halt shuttle move, saying “little evidence” of public demand [Sep 29]

"Why should hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars be spent just to jeopardize a piece of American history that's already protected and on display?" wrote Kelly in a social media post on Friday. "Space Shuttle Discovery belongs at the Smithsonian, where millions of people, including students and veterans, go to see it for free."

In a letter sent on the same day to the leadership of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Kelly and his three colleagues cautioned that any effort to transfer the winged orbiter would "waste taxpayer dollars, risk permanent damage to the shuttle, and mean fewer visitors would be able to visit it."

"It is worth noting that there is little evidence of broad public demand for such a move," wrote Kelly, Warner, Kaine, and Durbin.

“Inefficient and unjustifiable”
In the letter, the senators asked that committee chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and vice chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) block funding for Discovery's relocation in both the fiscal year 2026 Interior-Environment appropriations bill and FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill.

[...]

Under the terms of the act, NASA has until January 4, 2027 (18 months after the bill's enactment) to transfer Discovery to Space Center Houston. For its part, the Smithsonian says that it owns the title to Discovery and, as the institution is not part of the federal government, the orbiter is no longer the government's to move.

Warner, Kaine, Colleagues Urge Appropriators to Block Costly, Risky Relocation of Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Texas [Sep 26]

This week, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), alongside U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), called on Senate appropriators to block any federal funding from being used to relocate Space Shuttle Discovery from its home at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Virginia to Space Center Houston in Texas. In a letter, the senators warned that such a move would waste taxpayer dollars, risk permanent damage to the shuttle, and mean fewer visitors would be able to visit it.

Maybe they would be interested in the DreamChaser as a substitute.

AFTER the Dream Chasers have flown a bunch of missions, I think the first one should go to the Wings Over the Rockies Museum, next to the HL-20 mockup.
https://wingsmuseum.org/exhibits/dream-chaser/
https://wingsmuseum.org/

[StraumliBlight]

Nasa Watch: Senators Cruz and Cornyn Want To Chop Up Space Shuttle Discovery [Oct 1]

The KeepTheShuttle team is disappointed to report that the White House’s Office of Management & Budget has asked the Smithsonian and NASA to explore cutting up the Space Shuttle Discovery to enable moving the shuttle to Houston.

This development is unprecedented and alarming. NASA did not design the shuttle orbiters to be disassembled, and complicating factors include the shuttle’s aluminum frame, ~24,000 delicate ceramic tiles that coat the shuttle’s underside (the black part), and ~2,000 thermal insulation fabric blankets that coat the rest of the shuttle (the white part). Disassembling Discovery would cause significant and irreparable damage to these and other portions of the shuttle.

[Blackstar]

Quotes this group:

https://keeptheshuttle.org/

[jstrotha0975]

I disagree with most Democrats, but they are right about this, moving the shuttle is to much time, resources, money wasted.

[Blackstar]

https://wtop.com/virginia/2025/10/virginia-us-sens-kaine-warner-seek-to-keep-discovery-space-shuttle-in-the-commonwealth/

I find this to be poorly-worded:

"As part of the process to have Houston reconsidered, the Act required the current administrator to make a new determination, which favored Houston. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, nominated by President Donald Trump, is serving as the acting administrator."

This implies that it was "reconsidered" and then the new determination "favored Houston." I guess you could say that is technically accurate. But a more accurate description is that the Act said "move it to Houston." It's not like they provided an option.

[Blackstar]

[Blackstar]

https://spacenews.com/senators-spar-over-plans-to-move-shuttle-discovery/

"The release of that memo, as well as the earlier letter from Democratic senators, prompted a response Oct. 6 by Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In their own letter to the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, they asked that no restrictions be placed on funding for the shuttle’s move to Houston in fiscal 2026 spending bills.

The letter reiterated past claims that NASA selected the locations where the retired shuttles would be placed based on political influence, even though a review by NASA’s inspector general in 2011 found no evidence of such influence.

The Texas senators also claimed that the Smithsonian was lobbying Congress to block the transfer, which they claimed was “conduct that appears to violate the Anti-Lobbying Act.” Those efforts included “misinformation about the logistics of the move, falsely claiming that the shuttle’s wings would need to be removed for transport, a claim not supported by industry experts.”

The senators said the cost estimates for the move developed by the Smithsonian and NASA were “more than ten times higher than quotes from experienced private-sector logistics firms,” although the letter did not elaborate on those other estimates, or the expertise those firms have in moving a vehicle like Discovery."

[StraumliBlight]

https://spacenews.com/senators-spar-over-plans-to-move-shuttle-discovery/

"The release of that memo, as well as the earlier letter from Democratic senators, prompted a response Oct. 6 by Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. In their own letter to the leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, they asked that no restrictions be placed on funding for the shuttle’s move to Houston in fiscal 2026 spending bills.

Memo: Cornyn, Cruz Urge Preservation of Funds to Move Space Shuttle Discovery, Debunk Smithsonian’s Lies [Oct 6]

Those opposing the relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery have been circulating misinformation about both the cost and logistics of the move. In contrast, we have taken the responsible approach by consulting directly with reputable transportation logistics companies to obtain accurate cost estimates for transporting the shuttle. Rather than relying on secondhand reports or speculative figures, we took the initiative to consult directly with preservation experts who have hands-on experience in relocating and housing historic spacecraft. Based on this due diligence, we are confident that the relocation and proper housing of the Space Shuttle Discovery will be fully supported by funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the State of Texas.

[...]

As part of its opposition effort, the Smithsonian has disseminated misinformation about the logistics of the move, falsely claiming that the shuttle’s wings would need to be removed for transport, a claim not supported by industry experts. Furthermore, we also have serious concerns about the credibility of the cost estimates they have provided, which are more than ten times higher than quotes from experienced private-sector logistics firms.

Wayne Hale Blog: Why Houston Did Not Get A Shuttle [Apr 14, 2011]

But my suspicions lie closer to home.  Houston didn’t get an orbiter because Houston didn’t deserve it.

[...]

No disrespect to those who spearheaded the effort to bring the shuttle here, but the response was lackluster.  The local politicians gave lip service, some weak letters to the NASA administrator and little else.  We got a limp editorial or two in the local newspaper.  The movers and shakers downtown barely lifted a finger.  Its hard to tell if Austin and the Texas Legislature even knew what was happening.  A rally at city hall was poorly attended, too little, too late, and totally  ineffective.

[Blackstar]

Rather than relying on secondhand reports or speculative figures, we took the initiative to consult directly with preservation experts who have hands-on experience in relocating and

[StraumliBlight]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sVB3grmxag4

Dumbest Plan Ever.

Collect Space: Texas lawmakers double down on Discovery, call for DOJ investigation into Smithsonian [Oct 23]

Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), together with Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX-14) on Wednesday (Oct. 22) sent a letter to the DOJ urging the Smithsonian be investigated for violating the Anti-Lobbying Act. They claim that the institution — Discovery's home for the past 13 years — improperly used appropriated funds to influence Congress with regards to relocating the winged orbiter.

"Public reporting suggests the Smithsonian Institution has taken affirmative steps to oppose the passage and implementation of the shuttle's relocation, as part of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act," wrote Cornyn and Cruz to Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. "These steps include lobbying the staff of the Senate Appropriations and Rules Committees to express disapproval, coordinating with members of the press to generate public opposition to the law's passage and disseminating misinformation about the cost and logistics of the move."

The letter also alleged that the Smithsonian has called for the pending fiscal year 2026 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act and the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act to be amended such that it blocks funding for the shuttle's transport and rehousing.

"Furthermore [on the subject of funding], the Institution has circulated cost estimates that exceed quotes from experienced private-sector logistics firms by more than tenfold and has falsely claimed the shuttle's wings would need to be removed for transport, a claim not supported by industry experts," wrote Cornyn, Cruz and Weber.

[Blackstar]

""Furthermore [on the subject of funding], the Institution has circulated cost estimates that exceed quotes from experienced private-sector logistics firms by more than tenfold and has falsely claimed the shuttle's wings would need to be removed for transport, a claim not supported by industry experts," wrote Cornyn, Cruz and Weber."



And again:

[Blackhorse]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy

Now, coming true. Or worse.

[StraumliBlight]

If Cruz & co really wanted to showcase "Texas as the national leader in the U.S. space industry”, Booster 12 and Starship SN20 are currently sitting outside at the Rocket Garden.

Sea transportation to Houston is doable, 9m Starship is easier to transport along roads than Shuttle's 24m wingspan and an indoor horizontally mounted exhibit (Saturn V style) would be pretty inspiring.

[catdlr]

Scott Manley
@DJSnM
In 2010 NASA was reviewing where to send the flown Shuttle orbiters and created a score based institutions ability to show the shuttle to the public. Houston's score was the second lowest, but senators are trying to undo this and spend huge amounts of federal money to move a shuttle to Texas.

It's like those parents on the PTA who insist that their child should get a participation trophy.

https://x.com/DJSnM/status/1981395590425825748

[Blackstar]

Note that if they do this, there is nothing preventing them from putting provisions in other bills grabbing more artifacts from the Smithsonian and sending them to Houston. They could get the Apollo 11 CSM, for example. If they wanted, they could get the Wright Flyer and the Spirit of St. Louis.

[woods170]

Note that if they do this, there is nothing preventing them from putting provisions in other bills grabbing more artifacts from the Smithsonian and sending them to Houston. They could get the Apollo 11 CSM, for example. If they wanted, they could get the Wright Flyer and the Spirit of St. Louis.

Exactly. If they get this done, then there's nothing from stopping them to rob empty almost the entire spaceflight section of NASM. And all under the same lame excuse: "these missions were directed from Houston, they have no business being in Washington".

[Blackstar]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/10/24/discovery-space-shuttle-smithsonian-houston/


GOP lawmakers raise pressure on Smithsonian over space shuttle fight
Texas legislators, who want the Smithsonian’s Discovery shuttle moved to Houston, accused the institution of potentially violating anti-lobbying laws. The institution has said the move would break the spacecraft apart.
October 24, 2025
By Kelsey Ables

A Republican-led plan to move to Houston the Discovery space shuttle, an iconic holding of the National Air and Space Museum since 2012, has set off a fight for the future of the orbiter, which the Smithsonian said cannot be moved from its museum without being taken apart.

The feud has drawn in industry experts, former astronauts and space enthusiasts, who argue that removing the shuttle from the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Northern Virginia puts the most intact orbiter of the NASA program at risk.

That battle intensified this week when a group of lawmakers from Texas called on the Justice Department to investigate the Smithsonian, which they say may have acted improperly in raising concerns over the removal.

SNIP

During his second administration, Trump has taken new interest in influencing the Smithsonian and ridding it of what he calls “improper ideology.” In August, the White House announced a more aggressive review of eight Smithsonian museums, including the National Air and Space Museum. The same month, the president criticized the Smithsonian for being too focused on “how bad Slavery was” and including “Nothing about Success.”

The Smithsonian said in the September letter that it had been asked by the Office of Management and Budget to work with NASA to prepare for the relocation of Discovery within 18 months and verify the associated moving costs, which, according to the institution and NASA, range from $120 million to $150 million. Democratic Senators opposing the move have cited the Smithsonian’s estimate of a total cost of more than $300 million, including funds for planning, exhibit reconstruction, and new facilities.

SNIP

Warner, in a statement to The Post on Thursday, said “this expensive vanity project is directly at odds” with the Smithsonian’s mission of “safeguarding our national treasures.”
More Style stories on art

SNIP

“Let’s not waste millions of dollars to chop up a delicate historical artifact,” he added.

Cornyn’s office has called the higher cost estimate “purposefully overblown.” In a news release in August, Cornyn thanked Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy for the “approval of a retired NASA space shuttle to be moved to a nonprofit near the Johnson Space Center.”

In Wednesday’s letter, Republican lawmakers allege that by sharing cost estimates and concerns about disassembly, which they say would not be required, the Smithsonian’s activities “raise significant concerns under the Anti-Lobbying Act.” The act prohibits the use of appropriated funds to pay for communications intended to influence lawmakers, jurisdictions or governments with regard to legislation, policy or appropriation.

The Smithsonian, whose facilities have been closed during the government shutdown, did not respond to a request for comment.

As a public-private partnership, the Smithsonian receives about 62 percent of its funding from federal sources, which support employee salaries and facilities; some employees are paid from private funds. The organization is not considered a traditional government agency but a unique “trust instrumentality” created by Congress.

Richard Briffault, a professor of legislation at Columbia Law School, wrote in an email that if public funds were used for these activities, the act would apply, but if private funds were used, it would not.

“There’s not much law on this,” he said, adding that the Smithsonian could argue that its activities were “educational” and “informational” by explaining the cost of the move. “There is no sharp line between actions intended to educate/inform and lobbying,” he said.

Discovery, which retired from spaceflight as the oldest and most used orbiter, flew on 39 Earth-orbital missions and has been housed at Udvar-Hazy since 2012. The center says on its website that “Because Discovery flew every kind of mission the space shuttle was meant to fly, it embodies well the 30-year history of U.S. human spaceflight from 1981 to 2011.”
The D.C. area watched the transport of the Discovery in 2012 as it arrived on the back of a specially outfitted Boeing 747. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

An engineer who was a contractor at NASA for decades and participated in the delivery of the orbiters to museums told The Post that when they retired the shuttles, the others were stripped of some parts, but “We made a specific effort to keep the one going to the Smithsonian as absolutely intact as possible.”

“We wanted an example of what the spacecraft was preserved forever,” said the engineer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation against their current employer.

The engineer stressed that because the specialized aircraft that flew the shuttles across the country is also decommissioned, the only feasible way to move the orbiter would be to take it apart.

“You can take it apart,” the engineer said. “But you just destroy all the tiles and all the blankets that are on it. Then you really don’t have a space shuttle anymore.”

The visitor center for Houston’s Johnson Space Center, home to the famous Mission Control Center, which directed space shuttle missions, has a replica of the orbiter, Independence, which is mounted on the plane that was used to fly Discovery to Udvar-Hazy.

When NASA announced the space shuttles’ final resting places, it sparked anger in Houston, where local officials viewed the decision as “a slap in the face to a city that has long tied its fortunes to the nation’s space program,” the Associated Press reported in 2011. There are three remaining space-flown space shuttle orbiters in the United States — the others, Atlantis and Endeavour, went to Florida and California, respectively.

Joe Stief, a lifelong aerospace fan and founder of Keep the Shuttle, an organization pushing back against Discovery’s removal, said in an interview that the Texas lawmakers’ call for an investigation is part of “a silly attempt to silence the Smithsonian from publicly defending what is their full and irrevocable ownership of the shuttle.”

Stief describes the relocation as an attempt to score political points that risks setting a precedent that “really undermines the Smithsonian as a whole.”

Should the shuttle be moved, “anything’s at risk,” he added. “North Carolina could come and say, ‘We want to take the Wright flier back.’ New York could come and say, ‘The Hope Diamond should go back.’ And what’s to stop Kansas from rolling up and saying, ‘Hey, American History, you have Dorothy’s ruby slippers and it’s time for them to go back to Kansas’?”

[Eric Hedman]

The attempt to move the orbiter is disgusting.  The Smithsonian is the perfect place for it.  It's a national treasure, not a Texas treasure.  We all paid for it.  Plus, they already have a shuttle replica sitting on top of the 747 transport aircraft on display in Houston.

https://spacetourismguide.com/space-shuttle-locations/

[Blackstar]

Note that if they do this, there is nothing preventing them from putting provisions in other bills grabbing more artifacts from the Smithsonian and sending them to Houston. They could get the Apollo 11 CSM, for example. If they wanted, they could get the Wright Flyer and the Spirit of St. Louis.

Exactly. If they get this done, then there's nothing from stopping them to rob empty almost the entire spaceflight section of NASM. And all under the same lame excuse: "these missions were directed from Houston, they have no business being in Washington".

"If the great state of North Carolina votes for me and I become president, I will move the Wright Flyer back to its rightful home of North Carolina. If the great state of Missouri votes for me and I become president, I will move the Spirit of St. Louis to its rightful home in Missouri. If the great state of Ohio votes for me and I become president, I will give your state whatever you want from the Smithsonian Institution."

[RedLineTrain]

However, that ship has sailed.

1. The Smithsonian on the Mall doesn't have the Shuttle Orbiter.
2. Nor does it have a Saturn V.
3. Nor a 747.
4. Nor a Falcon 9.
5. Nor a Starship.
6. Nor ________.

Obviously, it doesn't matter enough for our country's heritage for people to fix these dire situations.