U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have announced that their provision to consider relocating the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Houston has been signed into law by President Trump. The legislation, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, aims to bring the shuttle closer to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
Senator Cornyn expressed his satisfaction with the provision becoming law, stating: “Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation’s human space exploration program, and it’s overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home.”
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Chairman Cruz emphasized Houston’s role in America’s spaceflight history: “It ensures that any future transfer of a flown, crewed space vehicle will prioritize locations that have played a direct and vital role in our nation’s manned space program.”
The provision will lead to considering moving Discovery from its current location at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to near JSC in Houston. This move aligns with Congress’s directive from the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, which intended for retired shuttles to be displayed in states with significant contributions to human space flight.
Additionally, other space-related provisions led by Senator Cornyn were included in this legislation. These include nearly $10 billion in funding for NASA programs at JSC and support for NASA’s Artemis program and International Space Station resources.
