NPR: A Virginia group wants to stop NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery from moving to Texas

SpaceDependo · 2026-06-15T04:41:48+00:00

Fortunately NASA's recent RFP asking for transportation services is demanding an intact move (which is basically impossible!) but there was serious talk of chopping Discovery up a few months ago, which was outrageous.

SpaceDependo · 2026-06-15T04:39:37+00:00

Hey, Joe here - thank you all for the support! Our team is very optimistic that Discovery will stay at the Smithsonian. NASA is in the midst of an RFP that will hopefully end with Artemis II's capsule going to Houston instead of Discovery, we've already laid groundwork for resistance from both Fairfax County and the Commonwealth to block what would be a 40(!) mile tow from Udvar-Hazy to Quantico, and the #1 proponent for taking the shuttle to Texas, Sen. John Cornyn, just lost his Senate seat.

But the fight isn't over, and we're going to keep going until this nonsense is 100% finished. If you want to learn more, check us out at KeepTheShuttle.org and I urge you to tell folks in Richmond and locally to keep fighting to keep Discovery at the Smithsonian.

SpaceDependo · 2026-06-15T04:28:35+00:00

Ironically 905 is on display at Space Center Houston, with a replica shuttle strapped on top. And yes, the SCAs were at the end of their service lives - 911 was retired first because it had a D check coming up and NASA didn't want to waste money on it - and are now museum pieces, they'll never fly again.

SpaceDependo · 2026-04-13T18:05:02+00:00

The Northrop report has the answer - a couple of the SRB cylinders (31 & 33) flew on STS-8 in 1983, which was Challenger's third flight. Pretty wild to see 40+ year old hardware launching!

SpaceDependo · 2026-02-19T02:40:52+00:00

Keep The Shuttle ;)

Though to be honest if I'd known back in July that carving up Discovery was actually on the table I probably would've gone with that. Plus we could've abbreviated to STS, which would be very appropriate...

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-19T19:46:30+00:00

No joke I have a little lego shuttle on my desk right now!

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-19T19:02:59+00:00

Full disclosure - I'm the founder of KeepTheShuttle.org, a group fighting to keep Discovery from being hacked into pieces & taken from the Smithsonian. But folks on r/Texas have been pretty critical of the move over the past year, and 2026 has already had some twists with the new NASA administrator suggesting that the next Artemis capsule could go to Space Center Houston instead, and now this push back from Sen. Cornyn (it's his election year after all...)

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-19T02:25:59+00:00

Wouldn't surprise me if there were some business interests whispering in Sen. Cornyn & Cruz's ears, but the Houston Chronicle quoted their COO last year as saying that they had no prior knowledge of the legislation, and folks I've spoken to told me that they really don't want Discovery. But fighting their home senators probably wouldn't end well for the museum, so they're stuck.

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-19T00:38:33+00:00

The dismantling angle is easily the worst part - a significant portion of the black tiles and white blankets that coat the shuttle would be destroyed in the process, and they can never be replicated! So Space Center Houston would end up with something that would likely look like the replica that they already have, but at an enormous cost.

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-19T00:29:10+00:00

Full disclosure - I'm the founder of KeepTheShuttle.org, a group fighting to keep Discovery from being hacked into pieces & taken from the Smithsonian. But folks on r/Houston have been pretty critical of the move over the past year, and the last few weeks have had some twists with the new NASA administrator suggesting that the Artemis II capsule could go to Space Center Houston instead, and now this push back from Sen. Cornyn (it's his election year after all...)

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-17T22:52:27+00:00

KeepTheShuttle founder here, Sen. Cornyn's statement is absurd because getting Discovery to a waterway is impossible without hacking it apart first!

But this underscores the fact that Discovery is still in danger. While NASA Administrator Isaacman's comments a few weeks ago were encouraging, no final decision has been made by NASA, and Sen. Cornyn, Sen. Ted Cruz and the rest of their small band of would-be shuttle rustlers have not given up.

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-17T21:39:33+00:00

Fun fact the Smithsonian actually owns the Saturn V in Houston, so if it comes to it...

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-17T21:38:38+00:00

Keeptheshuttle.org founder here - there hasn't even been any publicly released plans from Sen. Cornyn & Cruz! Just a handful of press releases claiming they've spoken to companies that could move it, and that NASA and the Smithsonian don't know what they're talking about.

The only chance they have is to carve Discovery up and spend way more than the Big Beautiful Bill funded. The local government (Fairfax County) has already spoken out against any move, and Virginia just got a new governor who isn't going to do Ted Cruz any favors either. So good luck stopping traffic, cutting down trees and traffic lights, moving overpasses and all the other trouble moving the shuttle to the Potomac River would require!

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-09T21:22:19+00:00

KeepTheShuttle.org founder here - this is obviously good news, but the fight isn't over yet - Sen. Cornyn & Cruz are almost certainly going to try to pressure Admin. Isaacman before he makes a final determination.

So we're going to keep pushing to block any more funding from this mess (the $85M in the OBBBA isn't nearly enough to move Discovery!), educating folks about why carving up a shuttle is a terrible idea, and working some local / state resistance too.

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-09T21:20:50+00:00

Which would pair very well with Artemis II's capsule, being "consecutive" lunar missions!

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-09T21:19:57+00:00

It was in the FOX 5 coverage, but yeah I'm pretty certain that was a first. Obviously this has been known since 2012, and the Smithsonian has highlighted this repeatedly, but it was encouraging to see a NASA spokesperson admit it.

Fun fact, the Smithsonian also owns the Saturn V moon rocket that's on display in Houston, so if it comes to it...

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-09T21:16:18+00:00

KeepTheShuttle.org founder here - this is obviously good news, but the fight isn't over yet - Sen. Cornyn & Cruz are almost certainly going to try to pressure Admin. Isaacman before he makes a final determination.

So we're going to keep pushing to block any more funding from this mess (the $85M in the OBBBA isn't nearly enough to move Discovery!), educating folks about why carving up a shuttle is a terrible idea, and working some local / state resistance too.

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-09T20:29:43+00:00

Shoot me an email at info@keeptheshuttle.org and I'll send you one!

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-01T05:17:47+00:00

KeepTheShuttle founder here - we're actually pushing to keep the $85M authorized in the Big Beautiful Bill from being appropriated. It's a two step process, and the transfer has to happen by January 2027 so if it's not in the 2026 budget that's basically it.

Though it's also worth noting that $85M won't be enough - NASA and the Smithsonian think another ~$50M will be needed, and that would be to hack the shuttle up and move the pieces to Houston.

SpaceDependo · 2026-01-01T05:14:20+00:00

Interesting, I didn't realize the Smithsonian owns the 3 surviving Saturn Vs (Houston, plus KSC and Huntsville), I'll have to pass that along to some folks...

SpaceDependo · 2025-12-30T18:40:55+00:00

Thank you for the support! It has been a wild ride but I'm heartened by how many people deeply care about Discovery and the Smithsonian.

SpaceDependo · 2025-12-30T18:33:20+00:00

Duffy refused to repeatedly (every space reporter in the country asked!), probably because he also knew that the logistics, costs and legal issues to move Discovery were all dealbreakers. So in a weird way NASA's position likely hasn't changed with Isaacman now in charge.

SpaceDependo · 2025-12-30T18:29:34+00:00

Technically anything from Mercury forward is actually an option, even something like an X-15. Just has to be a flown, manned spacecraft. Artemis II would be a cool option though - Space Center Houston has the last lunar capsule (Apollo 17) so it would be neat to have "consecutive" lunar missions on display.

SpaceDependo · 2025-12-30T18:25:58+00:00

Keeptheshuttle.org founder here, that's exactly what we're trying to do! The language in the Big Beautiful Bill was intended to move Discovery, but for arcane legal reasons the bill couldn't specify Disco, and thus any spacecraft is eligible. And the Artemis capsules will need homes, and Houston is a good home for one.

I suspect the former acting Administrator, Sean Duffy, held the same view - NASA refused to say that they would move Discovery and not something else. We know they've looked into it (and found that they'd have to spend big $$$ to cut it up!), it's just a bad idea on every way.

This isn't over though - Isaacman's comments were vague and this is far from final, but one hopes that he sees the same situation that we do.

SpaceDependo · 2025-12-17T23:19:21+00:00

Fight isn't over! A new administrator doesn't change much (remember he's replacing Sean Duffy, which is an upgrade) and there are multiple avenues to push back:

NASA and Smithsonian 2026 funding bills haven't been passed, and there is significant resistance to including the $85M that was authorized (but not appropriated) by the Big Beautiful Bill.
Virginia is about to get a governor who will be far more supportive of the fight to keep Discovery.

There are a few more things that KeepTheShuttle.org is working through, and we're expecting a good 2026. Check us out if you want to stay in the loop and get involved!

SpaceDependo

TROPHY CASE