Particle.news

Download on the App Store

NASA Nears Deadline to Name Shuttle for Houston Transfer as Ownership Dispute Deepens

President Trump’s tax and spending law compels acting NASA chief Sean Duffy to pick a flown spacecraft within 30 days, a move the Smithsonian with congressional Democrats is contesting

Overview

  • The One Big Beautiful Bill gives acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy until early August to identify a flown vehicle for relocation and sets an 18-month deadline for its move
  • Language crafted by Texas Republicans effectively targets Space Shuttle Discovery but stops short of naming it or Houston as the destination
  • The Smithsonian, which received full title to Discovery in 2012, insists Congress lacks authority to reassign the orbiter and the Congressional Research Service has flagged legal ambiguities in Duffy’s power
  • Projected costs for transporting and readying Discovery range from $8 million for movement alone to over $300 million for full exhibit preparations, far above the $85 million Congress provided
  • Congressional Democrats have barred Smithsonian funding for the transfer and an online petition continues gathering signatures to oppose the shuttle’s relocation