The tug-of-war over the space shuttle Discovery is becoming more volatile.
Discovery, the crown jewel of the Smithsonian Institution’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is the subject of a political battle over whether the shuttle should remain part of the program. National Air and Space Museumof the collection or move to Houston, headquarters of NASA Johnson Space Center. New correspondence between the space agency, Congress and the Smithsonian shows both the progress and struggles of those efforts taking place behind the scenes.
The push to move Discovery began with a failed state-level effort by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz (both Republicans from Texas). Language of your “Bring Transportation Home Act“presented to Congress later incorporated into President Trump’s”A big and beautiful bill,” and signed into law on July 4.
The Smithsonian recently confirmed that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has directed NASA and the museum “to prepare to move the space shuttle Discovery to Houston, TX, within the 18 months specified in the reconciliation bill,” according to a letter sent to congressional committees.
However, both NASA and the Smithsonian have concluded that Discovery “will have to undergo significant disassembly in order to be moved,” the letter said, warning that doing so would “destroy its historical value.”
The Smithsonian letter estimates the move would cost between $120 million and $150 million, not including the costs of building a new facility in Texas for the shuttle display. That total far exceeds the $85 million allocated in the bill.
Joe Stief is the organizer of KeepTheShuttle.orga group describing themselves as “long-time supporters” trying to raise awareness and advocate to stop Discovery’s relocation. He and the organization are not affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, but feel it is important that the vehicle remain in the museum’s possession.
“It’s very alarming,” Stief told Space.com, “because the shuttle was not designed to be disassembled. It’s not something NASA has ever contemplated doing. The shuttle would have to be broken down into at least six major components, probably more.”
According to Stief, breaking down the shuttle, even into its largest components (the wings, payload bay, cabin, etc.), would cause catastrophic structural damage.
“Hundreds, probably thousands, of the thermal panels would have to be removed. The white thermal blankets (a fabric that covers much of the white exterior of the shuttle) would have to be removed. All of these connectors would have to be cut on the shuttle, which has miles and miles of wires and tubes and different things,” Stief explained. “They specifically preserved Discovery to keep everything intact so that future researchers and engineers could study and learn from the shuttle.”
Stief said his organization has had more than 3,500 registrations in support of keeping Discovery at the Smithsonian, and the group has been trying to raise the alarm with other lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
in a Letters of September 23. U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray, chair and vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, respectively, Senators Mark Kelly, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and Richard Durbin urged the committee to block the transfer.
“Houston’s disappointment at not being selected is completely understandable, but removing an item from the National Collection is not a viable solution,” they wrote, referring to the 2011 competition that ultimately determined the final homes of the space shuttle orbitersso Houston was not chosen.
The letter states that revisiting the nearly 15-year-old decision now and forcing the removal of a Smithsonian artifact from its collection “invites ambiguity, public distrust, and erosion of institutional commitments.”
Two weeks later, Cornyn and Cruz shot backaccusing the Smithsonian of a “frivolous disinformation campaign” and potentially violating the Anti-Lobbying Act. The senators disputed claims that Discovery would need to be dismantled, citing their own independently consulted industry experts, and cast doubt on the Smithsonian’s relocation cost figures, saying their estimate was “more than 10 times higher than quotes from experienced private sector logistics firms.”
For its part, the Smithsonian maintains that it owns Discovery and that NASA transferred “all right, title, interest and ownership” to the museum in 2012. The museum also raises the question of whether the government-ordered relocation of the shuttle has any legal backing.
Cornyn and Cruz’s letter, however, rejects that narrative. “The Smithsonian claims that it is not a government entity. However, the institution is fundamentally a creation of Congress,” he said.
“The United States Department of the Treasury owns and manages the Smithsonian’s original trust fund. Two-thirds of the Smithsonian’s budget comes from federal appropriations, and its employees are federal employees,” their letter states. “The Comptroller General has concluded that funds appropriated for the Smithsonian must be used in accordance with federal law.”
That prospect is troubling for the Smithsonian, which is recognized as a public trust created by Congress but distinct from federal agencies, known as a “trust instrument.” This hybrid public-private organizational structure allows the Smithsonian to operate independently. Legal preceding It also states that artifacts donated to the Institution become property of the Smithsonian, not federal property.
“We remain concerned about the unprecedented nature of the removal of an object from the national collection,” the institution wrote, warning that such a move could “cause damage to the most intact orbiter in the space shuttle program.”
Stief said there is “a real question about exactly to what extent the Smithsonian could legally reject it,” and noted that the Justice Department would be the one representing the museum.
“Even if the letter of the law is, and probably is, in your favor,” he said, “the legal angle is not something we can rely on.”
The result could set a new standard for how federal law treats artifacts in the Smithsonian’s care and whether executive interpretation can override institutional independence.
Congress remains in a partial government shutdown, with Discovery’s fate now tied to stalled negotiations over the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill, which includes competing provisions that could halt or force the shuttle’s relocation once funding resumes.
“Even if you had an unlimited budget,” Stief said, “this wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”
