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1 [1] (July 24, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/aiuegh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Inforning the legislative debate since 1914 6mnmasaomnn July 24, 2025 Transfer of a Space Vehicle: Issues for Congress P.L. 119-21, the FY2025 reconciliation act signed into law on July 4, 2025, provides for the transfer of a space vehicle designated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator to a NASA facility involved in the administration of the Commercial Crew Program and subsequently to a designated entity within the same metropolitan statistical area as the NASA facility for public display. Section 20306(b) of P.L. 119-21 specifies that the space vehicle to be transferred must have flown into space, have carried astronauts, and be selected with the concurrence of an unspecified entity designated by NASA. Congress required that NASA obligate $85 million for the transfer of the vehicle and construction of a display building; the NASA Administrator shall designate a qualifying space vehicle within 30 days of enactment of P.L. 119-21 (i.e., by August 3, 2025), and the space vehicle must be transferred within 18 months of enactment (by January 4, 2027). Various media outlets have reported that the transfer of the space shuttle orbiter Discovery from the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, to Space Center Houston in Texas, a science museum that serves as the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, would comport with this language. Similar legislation was introduced in the House and Senate during the 119th Congress. On April 10, 2025, Senator John Cornyn introduced S. 1403, which was referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. On June 20, 2025, Representative Randy Weber introduced H.R. 4065, which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on House Administration. The two bills, entitled the Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act, are identical in language and would require the Smithsonian and NASA to develop a plan to transfer Discovery to the Johnson Space Center, including a timeline and budget. Within a year after the date of transfer, the Smithsonian would be required to transfer the title of Discovery to NASA. NASA would be required subsequently to transfer Discovery to a nonprofit entity designated by the NASA Administrator that would maintain the vehicle and provide for public display. No further action has been taken on S. 1403 or H.R. 4065 as of the time of this writing. Further discussion of current legislation related to the Smithsonian is available in CRS In Focus IF12987, Smithsonian Institution: Selected Legislation, 119th Congress. Which Space Vehicles Might Be Eligible for Transfer? The criteria that the vehicle must have flown in space and carried astronauts describes numerous space vehicles. In addition to Discovery, two other retired space shuttle orbiters fit these criteria: Atlantis, which is on display at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and Endeavour, which is on display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Other space vehicles on display in various public and private entities appear to fit these criteria as well. These include 15 Apollo Command Modules deployed in support of NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs; 10 capsules used in NASA's Gemini program; and two hypersonic aircraft used in the X-15 program, a joint effort between NASA and the U.S. Air Force. Most of these vehicles are in the custody of the Smithsonian Institution as the curator of space objects in the National Collection; one X-15 aircraft is on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. Also, P.L. 119-21 does not specify that the qualifying vehicle must be inactive. Further, the provision does not explicitly exclude space vehicles owned by non-U.S. government entities. The provision does not define or reference existing statutory definitions of the term astronauts. The term may be used broadly to describe individuals who have traveled to space; under such definitions, space vehicles that transported private citizens or citizens of other countries may qualify. For instance, SpaceShipOne the first private vehicle to carry humans to space-may qualify. For information on possible definitions of the term astronaut, see CRS Insight IN12555, Who Is an Astronaut? Safety Implications for Commercial Human Spaceflight. Potential Implementation Issues NASA Administrator's Authority The ability of the NASA Administrator to direct transfer of objects owned by non-NASA entities-including the Smithsonian and private organizations-is unclear and may be subject to question. This may, in turn, limit the range of space vehicles that may be eligible for transfer under this provision. P.L. 119-21 specifies that the designated space vehicle be transferred to a NASA center involved in the administration of the Commercial Crew Program but does not define what activities may qualify. This may provide the Administrator with additional discretion regarding the final location of the space vehicle. NASA has listed its Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers as lead centers for the Commercial Crew Program. Other NASA centers may also be involved in various aspects of the program. ittps://Crsreports.congress.gt