Senators to appropriators: Leave space shuttleDiscoveryin Smithsonian

A former NASA astronaut who now serves as a U.S. senator is leading a charge with fellow lawmakers to ensure that the iconic space shuttle Discovery remains on display at the Smithsonian Institution. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), along with Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine from Virginia, and Dick Durbin from Illinois, are advocating against the planned relocation of Discovery to Houston, a decision that was enacted into law earlier this year. Kelly, who flew two of his four missions aboard Discovery, took to social media to express his concerns. He questioned the need to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to move a piece of American history that is already preserved and accessible to the public. "Space Shuttle Discovery belongs at the Smithsonian, where millions of people, including students and veterans, go to see it for free," he stated. In a letter addressed to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the group of senators warned that transferring the shuttle would not only waste taxpayer funds but also risk permanent damage to the artifact. They emphasized that moving Discovery could result in fewer visitors having the opportunity to experience it firsthand. The lawmakers pointed out that there is limited public support for relocating Discovery, urging committee chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and vice chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to block any funding related to the shuttle's move in the upcoming fiscal year appropriations bills. This initiative comes in response to a campaign led by Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, who have pushed for the shuttle to be moved from its home at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, to Space Center Houston. Cornyn and Cruz argue that the decision to display Discovery at the Smithsonian is a slight to Houston, which hosts NASA's current astronauts and serves as the primary training ground for the space shuttle program.