President Donald Trump signed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" on July 4, which includes a provision requiring the Smithsonian Institution to transfer a space vehicle—widely understood to be the space shuttle Discovery—to NASA. The shuttle has been displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, since 2012. The move must be completed by January 4, 2027, and $85 million has been allocated for planning, transportation, and a new exhibition facility in Houston. The provision originated from the "Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act" introduced by Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, after their state lost the original competition to host Discovery.
This development matters because it represents the latest Republican and Trump administration effort to exert control over the Smithsonian Institution, a major museum network. The bill also cuts overall Smithsonian funding by 12%, eliminates dedicated funding for the National Museum of the American Latino, and merges the Anacostia Community Museum into the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The move has been criticized as a political heist by Senator Dick Durbin, and comes amid broader tensions over the Smithsonian's exhibitions and personnel, including the controversial departure of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet.