U.S. Senator John Cornyn is leading the effort to bring Discovery back to Texas from Virginia.
HOUSTON — A familiar voice echoed through history with the words, “3, 2, 1, and liftoff of the shuttle Discovery and the Hubble Telescope.” That proud moment marked one of NASA’s most iconic launches—Discovery soaring into the Florida sky.
Much of the shuttle’s storied history was written in Houston, home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. But today, Discovery rests far from Texas, on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Virginia.
Now, there’s a new push to change that.
A Bipartisan Mission: Bring Discovery home to Houston
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, joined by fellow dignitaries and space advocates, visited Space Center Houston to announce a new legislative effort aimed at bringing Discovery back to where much of its legacy was forged.
“We are here because we want to bring the iconic shuttle Discovery back home,” Cornyn said during the event.
The proposed legislation would pave the way for relocating the retired orbiter from Virginia to Houston, placing it among the community that helped bring its missions to life.
Wait—Doesn’t Houston Already Have a Shuttle?
Yes—and no. Outside Space Center Houston stands Independence, a full-scale shuttle replica mounted atop a real NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. It’s impressive, but it’s not the real thing.
“When four of the shuttles were retired—one went to the West Coast and three to the East Coast—but they left out Johnson Space Center. That was in 2010. This legislation is designed to fix that,” Cornyn explained.
Voices from Space Weigh In
Among the supporters of the move is retired NASA astronaut Tim Kopra, who flew on Discovery during his career.
“It’s very important,” Kopra told reporters. “There’s Johnson Space Center, but there’s also a whole community of companies here that support human spaceflight. Discovery is the icon of our space program—it really needs to be here.”
The Cost of Coming Home
Of course, relocating a space shuttle is no small feat—or expense.
When asked for a ballpark figure, Cornyn smiled and said, “We’ll let you know.”
Still, he remains hopeful the legislation will be included in what President Trump calls the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
If approved, Discovery could find a new home at Space Center Houston, where staff and visitors alike are more than ready to welcome her.
The folks at Space Center Houston say they have plenty of room for it.