Overview

• The White House budget office asked NASA and the Smithsonian to prepare for a potential relocation within the 18‑month timeline set by the new law.
• In responses cited by multiple reports, both institutions said Discovery would likely require significant disassembly, risking irreparable damage to tiles and other components.
• NASA and the Smithsonian estimated a minimum $120 million to $150 million to move the orbiter, well above the $85 million appropriation and excluding a new exhibit facility.
• Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine urged Senate appropriators to block funding and pause the effort, arguing the move would waste money, reduce access, and endanger the artifact.
• Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz back relocating a flown shuttle to Houston, though NASA has not publicly confirmed which orbiter would be moved.