"Even in retirement, the space shuttle Discovery exudes power, seen across a hangar crowded with planes and jets at its museum home in Chantilly, Va. Charred and worn from its record 39 missions to space, the stalwart of NASA's shuttle fleet evokes awe in its one-million-plus visitors every year. But it won't be there for much longer, perhaps. Discovery, the showpiece of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum,"
"The 331-page tax-and-spending bill provided $85 million to ship the Discovery shuttle to Texas within the following 18 monthsto Houston, home of NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and its adjacent visitor center, the Space Center Houston museum, to be exact. Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation's human space exploration program, and it's overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home, said Senator John C"
Space Shuttle Discovery resides at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., displaying charred, worn surfaces from 39 missions and attracting over one million visitors annually. A provision in a July tax-and-spending bill allocates $85 million to transport Discovery to Houston within 18 months, directing the shuttle to NASA's Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston. Powerful Texas lawmakers have pushed for the move. Senator Richard Durbin labeled prior efforts to remove Discovery from Smithsonian custody a "heist" during a July Senate Appropriations Committee meeting. The proposed relocation reflects political pressure and raises questions about Smithsonian ownership and the future exhibit location.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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