H.R. 4065: Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act

This bill, known as the Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act, proposes to transfer the Space Shuttle Discovery from its current location at the Smithsonian Institution’s Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center in Virginia to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The bill outlines several key actions:

1. Transfer Timeline

The bill mandates that the transfer must occur within 18 months of its enactment, under the direction of NASA’s Administrator.

2. Development of Transfer Plan

The Administrator of NASA and the Smithsonian Institution are required to collaboratively create a transfer plan. This plan must include:

• An estimated timeline for the transfer
• A cost estimate associated with the transfer

This plan must be submitted to Congress no later than 90 days after the bill is enacted.

3. Title Transfer

After the Discovery shuttle is moved to Houston, the Smithsonian Institution must transfer the ownership title of the shuttle to NASA within one year of the transfer.

4. Public Exhibition

Once transferred, the Discovery shuttle will be displayed publicly to promote learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The location for this exhibition must be within 5 miles of Johnson Space Center. NASA will oversee the shuttle until it is transferred to a designated nonprofit organization, which must continue its public exhibition and educational role.

5. Role of Nonprofit Entity

After the title transfer, NASA’s Administrator may designate a nonprofit organization to whom the shuttle title will be transferred. This entity will have the responsibility to maintain the shuttle for public education purposes at a site near Johnson Space Center.

6. Funding Authorization

The bill authorizes the appropriation of necessary funds to achieve the objectives described in these sections, allowing for supplemental budget requests as needed in future fiscal years.

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