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Smithsonian fights $85M plan to relocate Space Shuttle Discovery to Texas [1]

['Gail Sherman']

Date: 2025-07-31

The ridiculously named "One Big Beautiful Bill" signed last month allocates $85 million to transfer a "space vehicle" to "a field center of the Administration that is involved in the administration of the Commercial Crew Program and "placed on public exhibition at an entity within the Metropolitan Statistical Area where such center is located." Translation: "Hijack the space shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian and move it to Texas."

The space shuttle Discovery has been on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum since 2012, when its ownership was transferred from NASA to the institution. The museum is not taking the theft lying down and issued a statement asserting its ownership, which reads in part, "The Smithsonian Institution owns the Discovery and holds it in trust for the American public. In 2012, NASA transferred "all rights, title, interest and ownership" of the shuttle to the Smithsonian."

In addition to legal questions about ownership, Space.com points out numerous other hurdles to relocating the shuttle. The massive machinery that was used to mount shuttles to a 747 for relocation has been dismantled, and while other options exist, they are expensive. Removing Discovery from its current location would be costly and complicated. The Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan arm of the U.S. Library of Congress, estimated the moving costs at $50 to 55 million and $325 million in construction costs.

The deadline for the NASA Administrator to specify which vehicle will be moved is August 3rd, so there is still time for another choice to be made.

Previously:

• Star Trek's Nichelle 'Uhura' Nichols checks out the Space Shuttle Enterprise (1977)

• Atlantis returns to Kennedy: a review of the space shuttle's new permanent exhibit

• Space shuttle launch: From the booster rockets' point of view

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[1] Url: https://boingboing.net/2025/07/31/smithsonian-fights-85m-plan-to-relocate-space-shuttle-discovery-to-texas.html

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