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Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act
To require the Discovery space shuttle to be transferred from the Smithsonian Institution to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Summary
This bill requires NASA to transfer the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas within 18 months of enactment. NASA and the Smithsonian must jointly develop a transfer plan within 90 days, including timeline and cost estimates. Once transferred, the Discovery will be placed on public exhibition near Johnson Space Center to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Title to the shuttle transfers to NASA, and may later be transferred to a nonprofit organization that maintains the exhibit for educational purposes. Congress authorizes appropriations to fund the transfer and related costs.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to John Cornyn’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- CAPITAL GROUP $22,500
- ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ $16,500
- PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES $13,686
- WINKLEVOSS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT $13,200
- BLACKSTONE $12,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for John Cornyn → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Apr 10, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. · senate
- Apr 10, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 10, 2025
Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Cruz) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration
A BILL
To require the Discovery space shuttle to be transferred from the Smithsonian Institution to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act”.
SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF DISCOVERY SPACE SHUTTLE TO JOHNSON SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
(a) In General.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, under the direction of the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (referred to in this Act as the “Administrator”), the Discovery space shuttle shall be transferred from the Smithsonian Institution’s Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, near Washington, DC, to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
(b) Plan.—
(1) In general.—The Administrator and the Smithsonian Institution shall jointly develop a plan to transfer the Discovery space shuttle under subsection (a), which shall include an estimated timeline and cost estimate for such transfer.
(2) Submission to congress.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator and the Smithsonian Institution shall submit to Congress the plan developed under paragraph (1).
(c) Transfer of Title to NASA.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Discovery space shuttle is transferred under subsection (a), the Smithsonian Institution shall transfer the title to the shuttle to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
(d) Public Exhibition.—On the transfer of the Discovery space shuttle under subsection (a)—
(1) the shuttle shall be placed on public exhibition to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning at a location not more than 5 miles from the Johnson Space Center; and
(2) the Johnson Space Center shall be responsible for oversight of the shuttle until the date on which the shuttle is transferred to a nonprofit entity under subsection (e).
(e) Role of Nonprofit Entity.—On any date after the transfer of title under subsection (c), the Administrator shall transfer the title to the Discovery space shuttle to a nonprofit entity designated by the Administrator, on the condition that the nonprofit entity shall maintain the shuttle on public exhibition to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning in a location not more than 5 miles from the Johnson Space Center.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section, which shall be in addition to any amounts authorized to be appropriated by any other Act, and may be requested by the President as supplemental requirements, if needed, in the appropriate fiscal years. <all>
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