Texas senators cry foul over Smithsonian's pricey Space Shuttle shuffle

Can be shifted for a tenth of the price AND the wings don't have to come off – allegedly

Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have hit back at a Smithsonian memo on relocating Space Shuttle Discovery, claiming the institute's cost estimates are "more than ten times higher" than quotes from private logistics firms.

Space Shuttle Discovery - Pic: National Air and Space Museum

According to a letter signed by Cornyn and Cruz, advice that the Shuttle's wings would need to be removed is "misinformation."

The letter [PDF] is the latest episode in the saga of moving a flown and formerly crewed space vehicle – widely expected to be Space Shuttle Discovery (although NASA has yet to confirm this officially) – from the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington DC to Houston, Texas.

While the letter largely airs old grievances over the Smithsonian's selection as Discovery's final resting place and the political motivations Cornyn and Cruz allege were behind the scenes, it also provides a few clues regarding the Senators' plans.

$85 million is currently allocated in the spending bill to move and display a space vehicle. It is worth emphasizing that there is no mention of Space Shuttle Discovery. The vehicle must have flown in space and carried astronauts, which technically could also mean the Apollo 10 capsule at London's Science Museum.

Working on the basis that it is Discovery to be moved (Cornyn and Cruz certainly think so), the Smithsonian issued a warning last week that dismantling the vehicle for shipment represented the most cost-effective approach, but it would still cost between $120 million and $150 million before considering a facility in which to display the orbiter.

Cornyn's office has called the claims "lies," and the Senators' letter says the estimates "are more than ten times higher than quotes from experienced private-sector logistics firms."

So about $12 million to move Discovery. Perhaps $15 million.

Cornyn and Cruz say they have also received a thumbs-up from "preservation experts who have hands-on experience in relocating and housing historic spacecraft" regarding the proposed funding – $85 million will fully support the relocation and housing for Space Shuttle Discovery.

The claim that the Space Shuttle's wings would need to be removed for transport is also "not supported by industry experts."

The Register contacted Senator Cornyn's office for more details, but has yet to receive a response.

While it is undoubtedly possible to relocate Space Shuttle Discovery, doing so for a tenth of the Smithsonian estimates without removing the orbiter's wings seems a tall order.

Transportation by road is not viable. The pain of getting Space Shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles is evidence enough for that. During the program's lifetime, the Space Shuttles were transported atop converted Boeing 747s. However, the aircraft NASA used have long been retired (one is on display at the Houston Space Center), and restoring them to flight status would cost many more millions of dollars than are in the budget.

The final option is to transport the orbiter by barge, which would involve moving it by road to a port that can accommodate it, shipping it, and then unloading it at the other end for the journey to its final destination.

There is precedent for this. The Space Shuttle test vehicle Enterprise was shipped by barge from JFK Airport in New York to the Intrepid Museum after a ferry flight from the Smithsonian. It sustained some minor damage (later rectified) when the barge struck a piling. One of the Soviet Buran prototypes was also shipped by sea to Speyer, Germany, for display, although the wings had to be removed before transport.

We will update this article should Senator Cornyn's office respond with more details on the proposed relocation at a substantially reduced cost. In the meantime, the situation has distinct "top... men" vibes. ®

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