WASHINGTON — Space Shuttle Discovery, the most space-flown orbiter in NASA’s fleet, may soon be embarking on a new mission. Not to space, but from its long-time home at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in the DMV to a NASA facility in Texas.

Hidden inside President Donald Trump’s massive 900-page budget bill is an $85 million provision authorizing the transfer of a “space vehicle” to a site associated with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to be displayed publicly.

The location is widely understood to refer to Space Center House, near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The vague language is intended to bypass Senate restrictions on what can be included in budget reconciliation legislation, but it reflects and advances the goals of the “Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act,” introduced earlier this year by Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

The budget bill called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4.

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Discovery has been the crown jewel of the Smithsonian’s air and space collection at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., for more than a decade.

The shuttle’s journey to the Smithsonian began on April 19, 2012, when NASA formally transferred it to the Smithsonian Institution, making it the first of NASA’s retired orbiters to be handed over to a U.S. museum. A modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft transported Discovery from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Washington Dulles International Airport.

The flight was a farewell tour, complete with low-altitude flybys that left watchers from the Space Coast to the Capitol in awe.

To make room for Discovery, the prototype orbiter Enterprise was relocated from the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. The high-profile shuttle shuffle made headlines across the country.

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Houston played a starring role in Discovery’s career. Between 1984 and 2011, NASA’s Johnson Space Center was mission control for Discovery’s 39 spaceflights, more than any other spacecraft in U.S. history. Among its most memorable moments: the July 4, 2006, launch on NASA’s “return to flight” mission following the Columbia tragedy, which helped restore public confidence in the shuttle program and helped secure its future.

Discovery was named the “vehicle of record” by NASA, meaning it was preserved more completely than other orbiters for future historical and engineering study. It was transferred, along with full ownership rights, to the Smithsonian Institution, which holds it in trust for the American public.

Uncertainty of Ownership & Transfer Cost

Whether the Smithsonian can or will challenge the transfer remains uncertain, but Discovery’s flight path back to Houston won’t be turbulence-free.

When the Smithsonian originally received Discovery in 2012, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement, “Houston has played a critical role throughout the life of the space shuttle, but it is clear political favors trumped common sense and fairness in the selection of the final locations for the orbiter fleet.”

A 2011 investigation by NASA’s Office of the Inspector General found no political interference in the original selection process for shuttle displays.

In a statement to 7News, the National Air and Space Museum emphasized that it owns Discovery and displays it at no charge to the millions of annual visitors at the Udvar-Hazy Center. The museum also reaffirmed that collecting and preserving historic aerospace artifacts like Discovery is a core part of its mission.

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 Smithsonian Institution owns the Discovery and holds it in trust for the American public. In 2012, NASA transferred “all rights, title, interest and ownership” of the shuttle to the Smithsonian. The museum is charged with collecting, preserving, and displaying aerospace objects and artifacts of historical interest and significance for current and future generations. The museum holds the comprehensive collection of artifacts that document America’s successful efforts to lead the world in human exploration. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center welcomes millions of visitors, at no entry cost, to experience, study, and see one of the museum’s centerpieces: Discovery.

There is also uncertainty over whether the funds in the budget bill will cover the full cost.

Of the $85 million allocated, at least $5 million is earmarked for the shuttle’s transport, with the remainder funding a new facility to house it. When the shuttle fleet was retired in 2012, NASA estimated it cost nearly $29 million to prepare and deliver each orbiter, not including the cost of permanent display facilities or overland transport.

Space Center Houston is already home to a full-scale walk-through replica shuttle named Independence atop NASA’s original Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, NASA 905.

NASA has not yet released detailed plans for displaying Discovery, but officials say the move fits with the center’s long-term strategic goals.

Whether the move will stick its landing is still up in the air. The bill sets a hard deadline: Discovery must be in place in Houston by January 4, 2027.