The Smithsonian might have to cut space shuttle Discovery into pieces to get it to Texas

The tug-of-war over space shuttle Discovery is becoming more volatile.

Discovery — the crown jewel of the Smithsonian Institution's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia — is the subject of a political battle over whether the shuttle should remain part of the National Air and Space Museum's collection or be relocated to Houston, home to NASA's Johnson Space Center. New correspondence between the space agency, Congress and the Smithsonian shows both the progress and struggles of those efforts taking place behind the scenes.

In a letter to Congress, museum officials have warned the shuttle may need to be partially disassembled in order to be transferred, risking irreversible damage to one of the most meticulously preserved pieces of spaceflight history.

The push to move Discovery began