Overview
- On August 5, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy named a flown space shuttle for relocation to Space Center Houston but did not reveal which orbiter.
- The One Big Beautiful Bill enacted in early July requires NASA to transfer a crewed orbiter to a non-profit near Johnson Space Center by January 2027.
- Smithsonian Institution officials say they were not consulted and assert that Discovery has been held in trust since 2012 and cannot be moved without violating its title.
- A Congressional Research Service analysis warns that NASA’s authority to reassign Smithsonian-owned vehicles is unclear, potentially disqualifying some orbiters.
- Rep. Joe Morelle’s amendment to block funding for the relocation is slated for a House vote in September and experts estimate moving and exhibiting a shuttle could cost between $8 million and $300 million.