How the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill could move the Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston
How the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill could move the Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston
Tucked in the massive spending and tax bill, Texas senators added a provision funding the transport of Space Shuttle Discovery in Virginia to Houston.
Author: Nathan Lee, Matthew Torres
Published: 5:07 PM EDT July 3, 2025
Updated: 5:07 PM EDT July 3, 2025
DULLES, Va. — House Republicans narrowly pushed President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill over the final congressional hurdle Thursday, including a provision which would move Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston. … Only two Republicans broke partisan lines, passing the measure in a vote of 218 to 214.
Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have long advocated for the return of the Discovery to where it was commanded, in an area they called "an entity" near the Johnson Space Center. {snip} To do this, the Texas senators allotted $85 million for the transport, which they believe will cover the costs. … Virginia senators, however, are oppossed to the move. {snip} “What kind of message does it send to the American people when Republicans cut Medicaid and nutrition assistance funding that millions of people rely on, while simultaneously authorizing $85 million in taxpayer dollars to move a space shuttle halfway across the country," said Sen. Tim Kaine. "This ridiculous transfer would make Americans pay a $30 fee to view a shuttle that they can see for free right now in Chantilly."
{snip}
The Smithsonian Institute, which was gifted the shuttle in 2012 and currently houses it in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, disagrees with the bill's alloted cost for transport. Their estimates lay much higher, arguing the transportation of Discovery from Virginia to Houston would cost taxpayers no less than $300 to $400 million. … "This is why people hate politicians because they do stuff like this," U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam said. "It'll cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. It'll be sad day for our community when this shuttle is taken away from us."
Beyond the price tag, the Smithsonian argues their collections are not up for grabs. Though a quasigovernmental organization, the institution maintained that Discovery is not on loan from NASA, rather owned by the Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
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= new reply since forum marked as read
The Space Shuttles were not exactly designed to be carved up for transport.
Not to mention they are rather large.
The Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, two modified Boeing 747s, were retired in 2012 with the end of the Space Shuttle program. They are now on display in museums. One is at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California, and the other is at the Space Center Houston.
I have no idea how much it would cost to bring either of the two transport 747s back into service. I doubt it could be done for the amount mentioned in the bill.
Not to mention the support infrastructure that was installed at Edwards that would have to be created someplace in VA to mate the shuttle to the 747 and at same infrastructure would be needed in Texas. Both at airports that have runways to support the take off / landing of the 747 with the shuttle attached. Then you would need the ground transport to take Discovery from the museum where it is now... to the airport and from the airport in Texas to where ever they would put it on display.
Not to mention that while a piece of history, there is no plan at present to do something of a follow on to the STS that takes any of the lessons learned from the lives that were lost ( including my co-worker, Kalpana Chawla ) and make a new STS.
The entire idea is ridiculous.