Aviation News – July 7, 2025 – Not all spacecraft return safely to Earth, but the space shuttle Discovery did. Its last mission was in 2011, and since then, it has been on display at the Smithsonian Institution. However, that may soon change.
On U.S. Independence Day, former President Trump signed a document approving an $85 million (around €72 million) budget to relocate Discovery. But that amount falls short—moving the shuttle from the Smithsonian to Texas is expected to cost about $300 million (€250 million).
Discovery Going Home
In Texas, there is a NASA site eager to display the iconic shuttle, unlike the Virginia museum where Discovery has been on view for the past 13 years. Leaders in Texas welcomed the decision: “It’s long overdue that Space City receives the recognition it deserves by bringing Discovery home. Houston has always played a central role in America’s crewed spaceflight program, and this legislation rightly honors that legacy.”
Texas also sees the move as an investment in the future. “It ensures that for any future transfer of a flown crewed spacecraft, preference will be given to locations that have played a direct and critical role in the nation’s human spaceflight program—making Houston a top candidate.”
The Move
Relocating Discovery from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, to Space Center Houston—part of NASA’s Johnson Space Center—will take time. The transport alone is estimated to cost $5 million. The rest of the budget will fund the construction of a facility to properly house the shuttle.
However, the Smithsonian estimates the cost to be significantly higher, so the true expense remains uncertain.
The move is scheduled to be completed by January 4, 2027. Details of how such a massive object will be transported remain unclear. The shuttle measures roughly 37 meters in length, 23 meters in width, and 16 meters in height. In the past, a modified Boeing 747 was used to carry space shuttles, but that aircraft is no longer in service.
Discovery is the most-flown spacecraft in history. Between 1984 and 2011, it completed 39 missions—and compared to other space vehicles, it has remained in remarkable condition.
