Space shuttle 'Discovery' to remain in Virginia after efforts to move it to Texas stall

Space shuttle 'Discovery' to stay in Virginia for now

Efforts to move the space shuttle “Discovery” from Northern Virginia to Texas have hit a roadblock.  It looks like the shuttle could stay in the DMV, at least for now. FOX 5's Tisha Lewis has more. 

CHANTILLY, Va. - Efforts to move the space shuttle "Discovery" from Northern Virginia to Texas have hit a roadblock.  

So, it looks like the shuttle will stay in the DMV — at least for now.

What we know:

This means the shuttle "Discovery" would continue to call the Udvar-Hazy Center’s Air and Space Museum home — a big draw for crowds, domestic and international.

Just a few months ago, there were talks to ship the shuttle to Houston. That conversation shifted in the last week.

New NASA Chief Jared Isaacman says not so fast on transporting Discovery to Texas. A spokesperson for NASA says they will, of course, follow the law by providing a spacecraft that has been to space to Texas but falling a short of saying it will be Shuttle Discovery.

In fact, NASA says the "Discovery" is actually not its property. It actually belongs to the Smithsonian.  

A spokesperson for the Smithsonian declined to comment at this time. 

What they're saying:

"My job now is to make sure we can undertake such a transportation within the budget dollars we have available and, of course, most importantly, ensuring the safety of the vehicle," Isaacman said.

Discovery was quoted as costing between $120 million and $150 million to move and transport to Texas.

"This is one of the best museums, I think, in the world when it comes to aerospace. And this is the centerpiece. And, you know, it's very emotional when you see this kind of spacecraft. It has a huge history," said Bjoern Jemsby, a museum goer.

"I think the argument what we've heard from Senator Cornyn, from Senator Cruz, is that they feel that they were wronged fifteen or so years ago when NASA was retiring the shuttle fleet... NASA's IG did a report and found that there was no undue political considerations," said Joe Stief, Founder of Keep The Shuttle.

Stief says there’s still an open question about funding. In fact, that is likely one of the main factors promoting this latest potential pivot — cost, logistics and precedent are all said to be factors in Discovery’s fate. 

Stief says Discovery would have to be disassembled and shipped in parts if relocated.  Plus NASA reportedly gave the Discovery to the Smithsonian outright back in 2012.