On Independence Day, President Donald Trump signed into law a sweeping 900-page spending bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” that carries a surprise for space enthusiasts: $85 million earmarked to relocate NASA’s most flown space shuttle, Discovery, from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to Space Center Houston, the visitor hub of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Buried deep within the legislation is a provision—written in vague legalese—that directs the transfer of a “space vehicle” to a NASA center involved in the Commercial Crew Program, for exhibition within the surrounding metropolitan area. The language, carefully crafted to bypass certain Senate reconciliation rules, effectively enacts the “Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act” put forward earlier this year by Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. “It’s long overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the space shuttle Discovery home,” said Cornyn after the bill passed the Senate by a razor-thin margin, with Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
The bill allocates $85 million to execute the move, including no less than $5 million for transportation costs and the remainder for constructing a facility in Houston to house the orbiter. The deadline for completing the transfer is January 4, 2027. Although the legislation doesn’t name Discovery outright, its context and references make it clear which shuttle is being targeted. The Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, has housed Discovery since 2012, preserving it as the most complete example of the space shuttle program. With 39 missions under its belt from 1984 to 2011—including the 2006 “Return to Flight” mission following the Columbia disaster—Discovery holds the record as America’s most flown spacecraft.
“This legislation rightly honors Houston’s legacy as the heart of America’s human spaceflight program,” said Cruz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. “It ensures that any future transfer of a flown, crewed space vehicle prioritizes locations that have played a direct and vital role in U.S. space exploration.” Cruz also emphasized the symbolic value of the transfer: “Bringing such a historic space vehicle to Houston will not only celebrate the city’s indispensable contributions to NASA’s missions, but also serve to inspire the next generation of explorers, scientists, and engineers.”
While supporters in Texas are celebrating the move, the plan raises questions. Space Center Houston has not yet released details on how or where Discovery would be displayed, nor how the move would be executed. Currently, the center exhibits a full-scale shuttle mockup, Independence, mounted atop NASA 905, the original Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
Costs are another concern. When the orbiters were first retired and delivered to museums in 2012, preparation and transport alone ran nearly $28.8 million per shuttle, not including display facility construction or local ground transportation. Whether the $85 million allocation will be sufficient remains uncertain. Discovery’s placement at the Smithsonian was originally determined by NASA in 2011 after a competitive review process. A NASA Inspector General investigation later confirmed that there was “no evidence that the White House, politics, or any other outside force improperly influenced the selection decision.”
It is unclear whether the Smithsonian or other stakeholders have legal avenues to oppose the shuttle’s removal. Still, if the plan proceeds, Discovery will embark on one final journey—not to orbit, but to a new role in Space City, Texas, where it may soon become the crown jewel of Houston’s growing space heritage. A group called “Keep the Space Shuttle” has formed with the objective to stop this. They are long-time supporters of the Smithsonian’s who believe that national treasures like Discovery belong to all of us—not just to those who can sneak a clause into a budget bill.
