Shuttle makes flypast over Washington on way to final resting place
The Space shuttle 'Discovery' created some spectacular scenes today on it's way to Washington Dulles Airport, where it will be transported to the Air and Space Museum in Virginia.
The Shuttle was riding 'piggy back' on a converted Boeing 747. The pair took of from Florida's Kennedy Space Center earlier today.
On arrival in Washington DC airspace the pilots descended to around 1,500ft and made a spectacular flypast of the Washington Monument, circling it four times.
The Shuttle landed at Dulles and will be later transported to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum nearby. The museum is an annex of the Smithsonian museum on the Washington Mall.
The trip was broadcast live by NASA alongside the ATC communications on the approach to Dulles.
On arrival in Washington DC airspace the pilots descended to around 1,500ft and made a spectacular flypast of the Washington Monument, circling it four times.
The Shuttle landed at Dulles and will be later transported to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum nearby. The museum is an annex of the Smithsonian museum on the Washington Mall.
The trip was broadcast live by NASA alongside the ATC communications on the approach to Dulles.
Image courtesy nasa.gov
Some photos from the Washington fly past
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/
Since the shuttle program began the B747s have ferried the spacecraft 87 times. The two Boeing carrier aircraft have mainly been used to ship back the shuttle from its production factory and from California when weather conditions in Florida were not safe for a landing. The aircraft will also be used to carry the 3 shuttles to their final destinations.
To be able to load the shuttle a scaffolding structure was built and the spacecraft is lifted up. The converted B747 is taxied in and the shuttle is lowered on and bolted in.
Today Discovery traveled to The Washington Air and Space Museum. The next two shuttles ( Enterprise and Endeavour) will travel to JFK and LAX to be displayed in New York and Los Angeles.
To be able to load the shuttle a scaffolding structure was built and the spacecraft is lifted up. The converted B747 is taxied in and the shuttle is lowered on and bolted in.
Today Discovery traveled to The Washington Air and Space Museum. The next two shuttles ( Enterprise and Endeavour) will travel to JFK and LAX to be displayed in New York and Los Angeles.
Nicole Scott said' The Smithsonian museum will be a good home for Discovery.This video you can view here
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