HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Johnson Space Center is one of Houston’s top attractions and a major destination for visitors.
“Just being able to view actual equipment is just really amazing,” one visitor said.
But even with its popularity, the center is still missing one big attraction: a real space shuttle.
“Honestly, I would want to see something different because I see the same things every time,” another visitor said. “And I come once a year, probably.”
Now, NASA is working to change that by asking industry experts to submit proposals to move Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to Houston.
When the shuttle program ended in 2011, Johnson Space Center was left without an orbiter on display, while other locations across the country received one.
Earlier this year, ABC13 spoke exclusively with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman about the possibility of bringing a spacecraft to Houston.
“I can certainly promise that we will certainly do everything we can within our ability and within the law to try and make that happen,” Isaacman said.
The plan has sparked debate in Washington, with lawmakers divided on the effort.
Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn secured $85 million in federal funding last year to help move the spacecraft. But some Democratic senators, including Mark Kelly, say that probably won’t cover the full cost.
In a letter, they wrote, “The Smithsonian estimates that transporting Discovery from Virginia to Houston could cost more than $50 million, with another $325 million needed for planning, exhibit reconstruction, and new facilities.”
They also warned that moving the shuttle could risk damaging it.
For now, visitors to the Johnson Space Center can only see replicas while Houston waits to find out if a real space shuttle will eventually arrive.
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