Texas vs. Smithsonian: dispute over custody of a Space Shuttle as NASA-era assets move from programs to public display
Texas and the Smithsonian are locked in a custody dispute over a Space Shuttle—an emblematic end-to-end “program-to-museum” challenge rooted in how NASA managed the Space Shuttle retirement logistics and subsequent public display disposition. The fight underscores how legacy human spaceflight hardware becomes a geopolitical and legal custody issue long after operations end.