Houston, we have a problem.
President Donald Trump’s federal tax and spending bill allows for, among other things, the relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly to the Johnson Space Center in Texas.
Discovery is a centerpiece of the Udvar-Hazy Center and is not on loan; its ownership was transferred to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in 2012.
A Smithsonian spokesperson said preserving and displaying artifacts like the Discovery is a vital part of the museum’s mission. Under what authority Texas could take the Discovery is unclear, though Congress does hold significant purse strings — to the tune of 62% of its funding — over the Smithsonian.
“Collecting and preserving artifacts like Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery is part of the National Air and Space Museum’s mission and core function as a research facility and the repository of the national air and space collection,” the museum told FFXnow. “The Smithsonian Institution owns the Discovery and holds it in trust for the American public.”
Roll Call reported that the law signed on July 4 provides $85 million for the move, $5 million of which would be for transporting the shuttle, though the Congressional Research Service said the Smithsonian estimated the cost would be significantly higher — at least $50 million for the move and $325 million for a permanent display facility.
The Smithsonian also warns the move would “likely result” in damage to the shuttle.
According to the Air and Space Museum spokesperson:
Removing Discovery from the Udvar-Hazy Center and transporting it to another location would be very complicated and expensive, and likely result in irreparable damage to the shuttle and its components. The orbiter is a fragile object and must be handled according to the standards and equipment NASA used to move it originally, which exceeds typical museum transport protocols. Given its age and condition, Discovery is at even greater risk today.
The Smithsonian isn’t alone in opposing the move; both Virginia senators have expressed their opposition to the move, and a local grassroots effort called Keep the Shuttle has sprung up in defense of its Udvar-Hazy home.
Founder Joe Stief, a local so passionate about aerospace that he and his wife were married in front of Discovery last year, said the shuttle’s location right near the nation’s capital makes it uniquely accessible.
“Millions of people have had really incredible experiences there and special memories with the shuttle over the last 10 years,” Stief said. “While it’s a special place for us, it’s definitely something where people go there on family vacations, field trips, and dates. Discovery is a core part of the collection there, one of the highlights, and ultimately, I think it’s something a lot of folks care about.”
Stief said, beyond the concern about losing the shuttle, he’s also worried about the precedent that would be set if legislators can use Smithsonian funding as leverage to loot museum pieces for their districts.
“[This sets] a really dangerous precedent where anything in the Smithsonian collection is at risk,” Stief said. “One or two officials could come along and say, ‘I want to score political points by taking something from the national collection that’s supposed to be there for all Americans, for the world, and take that back to their hometown.'”
Stief said he fears the Smithsonian collection being fractured for political points.
“North Carolina could take the Wright Flyer, New York could take the Hope Diamond,” Stief said. “The ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz could go back to Kansas.”
In a statement earlier this month, Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) said the move will bring the shuttle to its “rightful home” in Houston.
“Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation’s human space exploration program, and it’s long overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home,” Cornyn said.
The federal budget reconciliation bill gave NASA’s administrator until Sunday (Aug. 3), or 30 days from its signing, to “identify a space vehicle” for relocation and 18 months to complete the transfer.
Some members of Congress are working to squash the move, with the House Appropriations Committee approving a markup bill on July 22 that includes an amendment prohibiting funds allocated to the Smithsonian from being used for the Discovery transfer.
Rep. Joe Morelle (D-New York), who introduced the amendment, said he was glad to see “bipartisan support” from the appropriations committee for keeping a “treasured Smithsonian artifact where it belongs.”
“The forced removal and relocation of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum is inappropriate, wasteful, and wrong,” Morelle said in a statement. “Neither the Smithsonian nor American taxpayers should be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on this misguided effort.”
The Senate Appropriations Committee debated a similar amendment at its own markup session on July 17, but it was ultimately withdrawn.
The House appropriations bill will fund the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other “related” agencies, including Health and Human Services, the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center. A date for it to be considered by the full chamber hasn’t been set yet, as Speaker Mike Johnson called an early August recess and lawmakers won’t be back in session until September.
Photo via Keep the Shuttle/Facebook
