Space Shuttle Discovery Lands in Washington D.C. for Smithsonian Display

Space Shuttle Discovery Lands in Washington D.C. for
Smithsonian Display
This story had been up in order to date from 11:36 a.m. EDT.
WASHINGTON -- The Particular room shuttle Discovery, NASA's fleet leader as well as the world's
most-flown spacecraft, arrived at Washington, D.C. Tuesday (April 17), where it's heading to
continue permanent display in the Smithsonian later on this week.
The retired room plane ended up being delivered towards the nation's capital mounted to the room
agency's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a new modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet, in a final ferry flight that
included a new historic flyover of the National Mall plus some regarding its neighborhood
monuments along with federal buildings.
The air- along with spacecraft duo landed at Washington Dulles Airport Terminal in 11:05 a.m. EDT
(1505 GMT).
The four-hour flight left your Kennedy space center inside Florida with 7:00 a.m. (1100 GMT), soon
after dawn. Visitors at Kennedy's visitor complex and spectators along the room coast had been
handled to one last flyby involving Discovery ahead of the shuttle began its trip up the Eastern
Seaboard.
The departure marked a final separation for Discovery along with Kennedy Room Center, that have
served since the shuttle's house base and also launch web site since it initial arrived in the Florida
spaceport atop exactly the actual same carrier aircraft on Nov. 9, 1983. [Photos: Discovery's Final
Piggyback Flight in Pictures]
In the particular three decades since, Discovery flew 39 missions -- a lot more than any other
spacecraft ever -- as well as logged a lot more than annually throughout space. This became the first
regarding NASA's three shuttles being retired in the large event it landed your final occasion
through space about March 9, 2011.
Next stop: the Smithsonian
Now about the ground at Dulles, Discovery -- still atop the particular Shuttle Carrier Aircraft -- will
most likely be moved to the remote apron in the airport exactly where NASA offers pre-staged large
cranes in order to offload the actual orbiter beginning in Wednesday (April 18).
On Thursday morning, Discovery will be rolled over to the Smithsonian National Air and Area
Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, situated adjacent towards the airport, for a transfer
ceremony. Several with the shuttle's former mission commanders, also as Smithsonian and NASA
officials, will take portion in the public event, that will kick off a new four-day "Welcome Discovery"
festival in the northern Virginia museum.
By the conclusion of your Luxury Condos Annapolis MD day Thursday, should all go as planned,
Discovery will just Condo Sales Annapolis MD take its location within the Udvar-Hazy's James S.
McDonnell Room Hangar as its centerpiece.
Discovery is actually replacing your shuttle prototype Enterprise, that have been in display at the
museum since 2003. Enterprise will probably be flown for you to The Huge Apple about Monday
(April 23) being displayed at the Intrepid Sea, Air along with Area Museum this summer.
Leading the actual fleet directly into retirement
Discovery is actually the very first associated with NASA's now retired shuttle fleet to become able
to embark about a new mission as a museum exhibit.
In April 2011, NASA additionally awarded shuttle Endeavour for the California Science center
throughout Los Angeles and also retained Atlantis pertaining to its visitor complex in the Kennedy
Room Middle inside Florida. Endeavour will depart for your west coast within September; Atlantis is
actually scheduled being rolled down the highway 8 weeks later on in November.
Discovery had been very first promised towards the Smithsonian in 2008. Your fleet leader,
Discovery spent greater than 365 days inside space more than your course of its 39 missions, a lot
much more than some other vehicle in order to launch as well as return through Earth orbit.
The third involving NASA's orbiters to be able to key in service, Discovery deployed the Hubble
Room Telescope and also the Ulysses solar probe and also had been the first spacecraft to recoup
satellites from orbit. Furthermore, it returned the shuttle plan in order to flight after the losses of
Challenger as well as Columbia throughout 1986 as well as 2003, respectively.
Discovery ended up being the initial shuttle for you to visit the actual International Room Station
along with delivered its largest laboratory, amongst additional components.
Visit shuttles.collectspace.com for continuing coverage with the delivery and display of NASA's
retired space shuttles.
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