NASA inches forward in moving Discovery to Houston
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Space Shuttle Discovery is currently housed in the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
NASA is asking industry leaders to make conceptual plans on moving Space Shuttle Discovery from the East Coast to Houston.
Why it matters: The push to bring a space shuttle to Space City is one step closer to reality but major hurdles remain.
Catch up quick: When NASA shuttered the shuttle program in 2011, Houston's Johnson Space Center was snubbed for one of the retired orbiters for permanent display.
- Discovery was awarded to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Endeavour was sent to the California Science Center; Enterprise was sent to the Intrepid Museum in New York City; and Atlantis was sent to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The intrigue: Discovery, housed at the Air and Space Museum's suburban Virginia annex, is the only shuttle currently on display that is free to visit.
Threat level: Four Democratic senators, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a former astronaut who flew on four space shuttle missions, warned in a letter last year that moving Discovery could irreparably harm it, citing the heat tiles that have become fragile with age.
Flashback: In April 2025, Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz first proposed moving Discovery to Houston's Johnson Space Center, the home of NASA's Mission Control Center.
- They successfully earmarked $85 million for the move in Trump's "big, beautiful bill" signed into law later that year.
Between the lines: The bill calls for the transport of any vehicle that has carried astronauts into space, not necessarily a space shuttle.
Driving the news: NASA is requesting 40-page proposals on moving Discovery, or a smaller spacecraft like an Orion crew module or Mercury capsule, cross-country.
What they're saying: "[This] is real progress in our mission to bring Discovery home," Cornyn said in a statement. "I look forward to welcoming the shuttle home to Space City soon."
Yes, but: NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told CNBC in December that if the space shuttle move doesn't work out, there are other ways for Houston to receive its piece of history.
- "My job now is to make sure that we can undertake such a transportation within the budget dollars that we have available and, of course, most importantly, ensuring the safety of the vehicle," Isaacman said. "If we can't do that, you know what? We've got spacecraft that are going around the moon with Artemis II, III, IV, and V."
- "One way or another, we're going to make sure the Johnson Space Center gets their historic spacecraft right where it belongs," Isaacman said.
What's next: NASA won't be awarding contracts in this initial phase, according to a copy of the draft request for proposal.
- The deadline to submit proposals is April 9.