posted 07-17-2025 01:47 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by OV-105:
It still has the orbiter attachment points on it...

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posted 07-21-2025 08:23 PM               

The relocation would be a mistake on several fronts — it's a misuse of taxpayer money, sets a precedent of political plunder at the Smithsonian, and moving Discovery would be extraordinarily difficult and risk damaging a priceless piece of American history.

posted 07-23-2025 01:39 PM               

Morelle Amendment to Keep Space Shuttle Discovery in the Smithsonian Moves Forward

Today, Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), the top Democrat on the Committee on House Administration, issued the following statement about his amendment introduced during the Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY26 Interior and Environment Bill to keep the Space Shuttle Discovery with the Smithsonian. The amendment was successfully adopted and will be included in the bill to be considered by the full House:

"The forced removal and relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum is inappropriate, wasteful, and wrong. Neither the Smithsonian nor American taxpayers should be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this misguided effort. I am grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues on this amendment and hope we can continue working together throughout the remainder of the Appropriations process to keep a treasured Smithsonian artifact where it belongs," said Ranking Member Morelle.

posted 08-05-2025 06:40 PM               

Cornyn Secures Relocation of Retired NASA Shuttle to Houston

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement in response to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Acting Administrator Sean Duffy's approval of a retired NASA space shuttle to be moved to a non-profit near the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, an effort that was spearheaded by Senator Cornyn and signed into law by President Trump as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

"Since the inception of our nation's human space exploration program, Houston has been at the center of our most historic achievements, from training the best and brightest to voyage into the great unknown to putting the first man on the moon," said Sen. Cornyn. "There is no better place for one of NASA's space shuttles to be displayed than Space City, and I thank Acting Administrator Duffy for rectifying the Obama Administration's error and look forward to welcoming this iconic orbiter to its rightful home."

posted 08-06-2025 12:40 AM               

Houston, you've got a space shuttle... only NASA won't say which one

The head of NASA has decided to move one of the agency's retired space shuttles to Houston, but which one seems to still be up in the air.

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), who earlier this year introduced and championed an effort to relocate the space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian to Space Center Houston, issued a statement on Tuesday evening (Aug. 5) applauding the decision by acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy.

posted 08-06-2025 09:37 AM               

SPACE VEHICLE DESCRIBED. A space vehicle described in this paragraph is a vessel that

1. has flown into space;
   
2. has carried astronauts; and
   
3. is selected with the concurrence of an entity designated by the Administrator.

posted 08-06-2025 02:41 PM               

I believe the proposed lunar and Mars facility, though, was set aside before talk of moving a shuttle to Houston even began. Texas A&M University broke ground in November 2024 for a similar facility, part of its new Space Institute, to be erected across the street from Space Center Houston in the new Exploration Park.

The institute, expected to open in September 2026, will feature the world's largest indoor simulation spaces for lunar and Martian surface operations, high-bay laboratories, and multifunctional project rooms.

posted 08-07-2025 11:09 PM               

Texas lawmakers: Investigate Smithsonian over space shuttle move protest

Texas lawmakers, seemingly not content with having gotten NASA's endorsement to move a retired space shuttle to Houston, are now calling for an investigation into how the Smithsonian allegedly objected to relocating the orbiter it has owned for over a decade.

Senator John Cornyn and Representative Randy Weber on Thursday (Aug. 7) sent a letter to John Roberts, the Smithsonian Institution's chancellor and Chief Justice of the United States, suggesting that the Smithsonian's staff may have violated the law by their efforts to block legislation authorizing the space vehicle's transfer.

posted 08-20-2025 04:20 AM               

It's also nice to see that some in the local Houston media have opposition to this situation, despite Houston being the only potential benefactor from it. I'm sure most people in Houston would love to have a Space Shuttle on display in their city, so it's good to see that people can look past their own potential gain when the costs to the overall nation are so high.

posted 08-20-2025 08:00 AM               

I didn't catch the "Gulf" reference until I went back and listened to it. It was not done purposefully. (When I write for this site, I generally follow AP style and so still use Gulf of Mexico as the body of water is internationally known.)

posted 08-20-2025 06:03 PM               

If acting administrator Sean Duffy had not already identified Houston as the location, then the most elegant solution I have heard would be to give Atlantis to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.

NASA would transfer title to the orbiter to the AMF (a non-profit located within the municipality of a NASA field center involved in the Commercial Crew Program). The AMF would not have to worry about delivery or display expenses as, like Atlantis, the AMF is already located at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.