The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is working to bring one of NASA’s retired space shuttles to the area. Project Director Zach Cummings started the petition to bring the shuttle to the Brazos Valley, one of two locations being considered in state.

“The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is involved in a campaign to bring one of the retired shuttle orbiters to the Brazos Valley,” said Deborah Cowman, executive director of the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. “The Museum’s dream is to display the magnificent shuttle in a new Museum of Science and History.”

Bringing the shuttle to Brazos Valley could help the tourism economy and Texas
A&M University.

“Texas A&M University is a world-renowned research university with outstanding science and engineering programs and is a leader in developing and finding practical applications for new technologies,” Cowman said. “The addition of a research museum in the Brazos Valley would promote multi-disciplinary research and provide a center to enhance science literacy for the general public. The Brazos Valley is also an ideal home for a space shuttle because of its central location. It would place a shuttle centrally in the United States within a comfortable drive for millions of people. A project of this magnitude also creates jobs and opportunities.”

The museum and NASA representatives are in negotiations, and Charles Bolden, one of NASA’s administrators, will make the final decision.