Exclusive The war of words over the possible relocation of Space Shuttle Discovery has ratcheted up, with the office of Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) telling The Register that the orbiter belongs in Houston “whether the woke Smithsonian and its cronies in Congress like it or not.”
The kerfuffle started earlier this month when NASA and the Smithsonian estimated it would cost between $120 million and $150 million to move the antique spacecraft from its current location in Virginia to a new spot in Houston, Texas, and the relocation would require chopping the shuttle into pieces. The move was sparked by the 2025 budget reconcilation bill, which included a line item of $85 million to relocate at least one craft that has flown astronauts to Houston, the home of the Johnson Space Center, which oversees manned space flight for the agency. Cornyn and fellow Texas Senator Ted Cruz, another Republican, have been advocating to bring Discovery to Houston since April.
A spokesperson for Cornyn’s office called bunk on the new estimate, telling The Register, “The fact is that all four shuttles have moved across the country without disassembly on more than one occasion.
“The Smithsonian estimates are purposefully overblown, and an outside vendor skilled at moving military equipment like tanks, military aircraft larger than a space shuttle, and the shuttle mock-up has estimated the total cost to be between $5-$8 million, which includes transportation from the Smithsonian to a barge and a barge to Space Center Houston.
“The NASA estimate for transport was only $5 million, further proving that unnecessary storage and disassembly expenses make up the vast majority of alternative and exorbitant cost estimates like this.”
When the shuttles were transported in 2012, the cost of the ferry flights was estimated to be $8.3 million, according to contemporary reports. Those relocations used the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), which have long since been retired. One can be found in Space Center Houston, with the Space Shuttle replica Independence mounted on top.
In the absence of an operational SCA, a journey by road and barge is the way to go. The question then is which outside vendor is best suited to complete the task, and what the plan for the move would look like. There are a few contenders, depending on the interpretation of “shuttle mock-up.” Florida-based Beyel Brothers was responsible for transporting the Space Shuttle replica Independence from Kennedy Space Center in Florida (where it was an exhibit called Explorer) to Space Center Houston. The trip involved an ocean-going voyage on a barge.
Beyel Brothers was also responsible for the move of another Space Shuttle mock-up – Inspiration. However, Weeks Marine transported Space Shuttle Enterprise, which was used for approach and landing tests as well as some equipment fit checks, from a hangar at JFK International Airport via barge to the Intrepid Museum in New York City.
The letter [PDF] signed by Cornyn and Cruz stated that the Smithsonian “falsely” claimed that the “Shuttle’s wings would need to be removed for transport.”
While Cornyn’s office has turned its ire on the Smithsonian, we note that the letter from the institution stated that NASA had been involved in the cost estimates and the suggestion that Discovery would need to be dismantled in order to be shipped. The US space agency was involved in the construction, operation, and retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet and is therefore well-placed to comment on what might be involved in a relocation.
The spokesperson for Cornyn’s office said: “Discovery belongs in Houston, and will make the journey there safely, securely, and efficiently in accordance with the law whether the woke Smithsonian and its cronies in Congress like it or not.” ®