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Science

Final Flight: Photos, Video of NASA’s Shuttle ‘Discovery’ Strapped to a Boeing 747 Above D.C.

Apr. 17, 2012 12:03pm Liz Klimas

NASA Shuttle Discovery Carried by Boeing 747 Flies By Nations Capital

(Photo: Adam Wells via Washington Post)

WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — The space shuttle Discovery soared over the Washington Monument, the White House and the Capitol in a high-flying salute to the nation’s capital Tuesday.

The world’s most traveled spaceship, hitching a ride on top a Boeing 747 jet, took a couple of leisurely spins at an easy-to-spot 1,500 feet around Washington after a flight from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Check out the pair’s nod to D.C.:

Thousands packed the National Mall to watch the tandem flight.

“Look at that — that thing is mammoth,” said Terri Jacobsen of Bethesda, Md. She brought her 12-year-old home-schooled son to the mall to watch the flyover.

The Washington Post Capital Weather Gang collected viewer photos from the event. Below are a few or see them all here.

(Photo: Lydia Dianem via Washington Post)

(Photo: Gregory Spikav via Washington Post)

(Photo: Hannah Hamill via Washington Post)

The shuttle-jet combo was set to land at Dulles International Airport. On Thursday, it will be towed to its permanent installation at the Smithsonian’s annex in northern Virginia.

Taking off from the Kennedy Space Center. (Photo: AP/John Raoux)

(Photo: NASA/Glenn Benson)

Discovery departed Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at daybreak. Nearly 2,000 people — former shuttle workers, VIPs, tourists and journalists — gathered along the old shuttle landing strip to see Discovery off. A cheer went up as the plane taxied down the runway and soared into a clear sky.

Watch the raw footage of its take off:

The plane and shuttle headed south and made one last flight over the beaches of Cape Canaveral – thousands jammed the shore for a glimpse of Discovery – then returned to the space center in a final salute. Cheers erupted once more as the pair came in low over the runway it had left 20 minutes earlier and finally turned toward the north.

Discovery — the fleet leader with 39 orbital missions — is the first of the three retired space shuttles to head to a museum. It will go on display at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, taking the place of the shuttle prototype Enterprise. The Enterprise will go to New York City.

Endeavour will head to Los Angeles this fall. Atlantis will remain at Kennedy.

NASA ended the shuttle program last summer after a 30-year run to focus on destinations beyond low-Earth orbit. Private U.S. companies hope to pick up the slack, beginning with space station cargo and then, hopefully, astronauts. The first commercial cargo run, by Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is set to take place in just another few weeks.

For at least the next three to five years — until commercial passenger craft are available in the United States — NASA astronauts will have to hitch multimillion-dollar rides on Russian Soyuz capsules to get to the International Space Station.

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Comments (70)

Dauntless
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 6:53pm
The small one is usually the male.

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- claymoremacm
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 9:13pm
  I was stationed at Eglin AFB when the shuttle was first brought to Florida on its way to the “Cape” half the tiles had fallen off and She did not look so majestic, But with time she became a beautiful Bird,…USA… may we regain our granger NOV 2012…Any One BUT ….Obutthead
  
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FoundingTrek
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 6:48pm
To me, the shuttle most represented national pride. Notice the past tense — represented. Today, I feel a strong sense of regret. The U.S. no longer has maned spaceflight capability — we’re leaving that to Russia and China. Are we Americans so bereft of ambition, drive, and pride that we no longer care about leading the world — in anything positive?

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- Thevoice
  Posted on April 18, 2012 at 9:24am
  I think you and a lot of other people see and feel the difference. Half of us will quickly be the last of people who had the mental conditioning…. America first..and put our time and energy into what was happening in our own back yard.. and didn’t wake up every day giving a rats a$$ that we were insulting the Flintstones or the Muslim sheeple by being bright productive and innovative people. Really this thought process that the U.S.A can continue like some kind of Walmart super center that runs on a bunch of commie china junk being dumped into it is nuts. Global this and global that.Then the worst part because we have this weak…. freak ….minded leadership today..and they live with this dire need to “interact” with the world so bad…They actually print away the wealth of our nation and place our grandchildren in debt to save the failed political system of a Greese….Seriously…We are going to worry the fat lazy pension of some government desk squatter in Greece is taken care of ..Because “They” the global love idiots say it will affect us…Utter nonsense …
  
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tckid17
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 5:36pm
Does this mean that NASA had to pay $35 for overhead bag fees?

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- Kelso
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 11:20pm
  more like $50 Mil.
  
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Fishmanone
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 4:32pm
Thank you for your service DISCOVERY!!!! We salute you!!!

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- BlackAce41
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 4:56pm
  We will miss You blasting off to the heavens Discovery. I am Glad i got to see your last flight…
  
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thegreatcarnac
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 3:55pm
How dare this communist take us out of the space game. We are now officially dependent on the Russians to get anywhere in Space. What a travesty? What a shame and what treachery? This president is a ‘faux’ president and a ‘faux’ American. He has no patriotism and he actually hates us and has proven it. Obama….a POS that should be jailed.

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Tom K
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 2:45pm
The Obama Administration has killed N.A.S.A. and the Manned Space Program. Liberals will kill just about anything that is good or decent or improves the human condition or is just plain logical. Liberals must try to negate their guilt complex by bringing America down to third world status. Liberalism is a mental disorder. Anyone BUT Obama in November !

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youdidthis
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 2:45pm
Divide and Conquer
http://www.youtube.com/user/donsmithshow

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tom cline
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:57pm
Sad day for America! Thanks to the incompetance in the white house we know longer have the ability to control our destiny in space. We will be subserviant to russia and china, Obamas communist buddies.

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- Naram-Sin
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 2:19pm
  It’s not incompetence. It’s an intentional attack on America. Destroy our manned space vehicles before there is anything to replace it. We can’t have anyone thinking we’re better because we’re using space shuttles the rest of the world has no chance of building. If we do get a replacement for it while Obama’s still in office, expect it to be a step back to disposable space capsules so we will be more even with the Rusians and Chinese.
  
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Nevermind
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:51pm
Mancy
Hey Nevermind – Ask John Glenn (ya’ know, the astronaut) what he thinks about Obama‘s end of NASA’s program that was to replace the Shuttle Program. Would you consider John Glenn an idiot, or a partisan hack??? You do know he was a Democrat Senator, right???

**************

He blamed the Bush admin for concoting the moon and mars missions while praising the Obama admin for the 2 last flights as well as doubling the $$ that were allocated. That was as of 03/01/2012 do you have anything more recent?

I do know he wanted Obama to do more but since NASA never came up with actual cost projections for Consellation it was scrapped.

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DBDvl
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:27pm
Another glaring example of why we need a new leader of our government this year. He has gutted our space program after it was started under Bush. I would much rather have my tax dollars spent on space then baby momma’s and others in our entitlement society.

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TEARS FOR AMERICA
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:14pm
I will never forget Challenger and her crew…I cried buckets…and Reagan handled it so superbly with grace and love for Americans, not this drippy sarcasm full of hate and division…America, have we traveled the socialist road too long? Hell, yes…

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FloridaFarmGirl
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:07pm
Sad day for America, very sad day for Florida. We will miss you Discovery, sure was great to see you for the last time in flight.

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- CatB
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:51pm
  Yes … and I will miss the sonic booms .. going over my house.(or anywhere near it ;-) ) :-(
  
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- claymoremacm
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 9:24pm
  Sonic booms… the sound of freedom
  
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Master.Debater
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:47pm
Maybe we should send the shuttle to the middle east. Then the Shuttle could continue serving by helping NASA to fulfill it’s new “Muslim Outreach” mission.

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- CatB
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:54pm
  Can we load it up with a special “gift”? .. bye bye muslims .. that might be her finest hour. At least she could go out with a bang and representative of the Obama administration destuction .. only over there and not here.
  
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- lukerw
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 2:06pm
  There are no Warehoused Parts… to make it ever fly again! Ask the Chinese!
  
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theamericanvision
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:42pm
I hear serial killers like to keep a keepsake, a reminder of the joy they experienced during the kill. That would explain why it’s being sent to DC.

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mitchbarr
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:36pm
It is sad to see the shuttle program end. Just like the Apollo program just before my generation.

However, How much taxpayer money was spent flying the shuttle around the “hole in the USA that we taxpayers are forced to throw our money into” we call Washington DC. It supposedly made three or four passes. Also, although I know flying is a safe way to travel, Flying the shuttle around and around posed a greater chance at something happened that could have endangered people.

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- scruffycat
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 4:06pm
  NASA flying Discovery around and around the DC area was to shame Obama: “Look at what you have killed. Look, look Washington DC, this is what Obama has killed”
  
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cemerius
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:36pm
I wish I had my camera handy when driving to work this morning!! It flew parralel to the highway I was on and the sun rays penetrating through the clouds looked like a skull with light beams coming from its eyes. To think that MUCH of these shuttles wiring and components were and still are in pristine condition and the shuttles still able to do many more launches, this sucks!! America grows weaker every day……..

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Nevermind
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:34pm
biohazard23

“Welcome home”?? Uh, the entire shuttle fleet should be down here in FL at KSC where they belong. Obummer should never have shut down that program. Thousands of jobs were lost. Not as though this administration cares about that as long as moo slims are being pandered to by NASA
**********

The folks like this poster are either stupid or partisan hacks to blame this on Obama. Do your own research as Beck says. On 01/14/2004 Bush gave a speech signaling the end of the shuttle program and he called the program unsafe. Bush ended the shuttle program not Obama.

Either educate yourself or you end up looking like an idiot or partisan hack

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- utterlyamazing
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:45pm
  Obama didn’t kill the shuttle program.. But he killed the program that was supposed to replace the shuttle..
  
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- biohazard23
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:59pm
  OK, so Bush killed the program. I can admit when I’m wrong, it’s been known to happen. But Obummer made sure that FL lost thousands of jobs. So much for hope and change, eh?
  
  BTW, nice little attack with the name calling. Didn’t your teacher call out that it’s time to leave the playground, that recess is over?
  
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- Mancy
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 1:19pm
  Hey Nevermind – Ask John Glenn (ya’ know, the astronaut) what he thinks about Obama’s end of NASA’s program that was to replace the Shuttle Program. Would you consider John Glenn an idiot, or a partisan hack??? You do know he was a Democrat Senator, right???
  
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Gonzo
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:30pm
How sad, too broke for space…but plenty of money for green energy! Yahoo!

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- Sirfoldallot
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:36pm
  I wonder if algae could fly the space shuttle ????
  
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- SimpleTruths
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:37pm
  As it should be.
  
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- Gonzo
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:52pm
  As it should be, if you’re Chinese maybe.
  
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- USPATRIOT101
  Posted on April 18, 2012 at 11:28am
  Algea, If we are spending money on bogus energy plans we might as well build the easter bunny a new “green” house.
  
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warr9553
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:25pm
something else obama killed

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- Shasta
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:28pm
  His version of the Midas Touch. The difference is that the Obama Touch destroys everything he comes in contact with. Just look at the companies that he has visited on his never ending campaign trail. One by one, they all go under.
  
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biohazard23
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:18pm
“Welcome home”?? Uh, the entire shuttle fleet should be down here in FL at KSC where they belong. Obummer should never have shut down that program. Thousands of jobs were lost. Not as though this administration cares about that as long as moo slims are being pandered to by NASA…..

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- SimpleTruths
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:36pm
  Funding for the shuttle fleet was killed under the Bush Administration. Request for further funding was killed by the Republican’s in the House.
  
  Nice try, but the truth is the truth.
  
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- ScienceIsNotEvil
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:40pm
  Actually Bush killed it.
  
  As a matter of U.S. National Space Policy, the goal to retire NASA’s Space Shuttle by 2010 was first established in the Vision for Space Exploration announced by President George W. Bush on January 14, 2004.
  
  This retirement goal was to follow the codependent space policy goal to finish assembly of the International Space Station. Only with the expense of the Shuttle program behind it could NASA afford to push human exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit.
  
  Congress first endorsed this executive policy goal with the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. Recently, the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 did not reverse the Shuttle retirement plans.
  
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lukerw
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:16pm
In Obama NASA… it’s how they Reproduce!

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BubbaCoop
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:12pm
Yeah…they used straps.

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CatB
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:11pm
Sad sad day … Discovery leaves Florida for the final and last journey .. along with our space program. Now we just have a muslim outreach program …

http://sheikyermami.com/2012/04/14/nasa-rebels-against-obama-appointed-outreach-clown/

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Detroit paperboy
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:10pm
Good thing Obama s Muslim brothers taught us how to build all that NASA stuff, they’re so smart and have contributed so much to science…. Like …. Um, like…”.mmmmmmmmm like….um well , roadside bombs for one thing…..

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- Calm Voice of Reason
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:16pm
  or…algebra.
  
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- 13th Imam
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:34pm
  & Yes
  There was no math before Muslims. Muhaaaaammeeeedddd only created algebra to count the number of infidels he killed,, Right??
  
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- ScienceIsNotEvil
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:41pm
  Well they have contributed more to science then the current group of Young Earth Creationists…
  
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- lukerw
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:43pm
  @CALM…
  Algebra came from Ancient Egypt… before the Muslims conquered it… and as they went around Conquering everything… they preserved the Scrolls & Books… which ended up in the Spanish Caliphate… were we got them upon the overthrow… and which became the base of our University System. All this implies no importance upon the Muslims… other than being Keepers… whereas the Westerners were Thirsty for Knowledge… lost since the Fall of the Roman Empire.
  
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- PapaKOA
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:48pm
  Math isn’t invented, it’s discovered. Algebra was around long before Mohammed.
  
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- Calm Voice of Reason
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:50pm
  @13th Imam: There was math beforehand, addition and subtraction were around, of course, and the Greeks had there forms, but Greek math was based exclusively on geometry. Algebra was invented as a means of dealing with unknown or variable quantities, as well as the use of algorithms, without which the modern world could not function. Arab contributions to the sciences are significant, whereas I’ll wager you cannot name for me a single Roman mathematician.
  
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- lukerw
  Posted on April 17, 2012 at 2:02pm
  We owe the Muslims one thing: Zero! Because they had so much Nothing… they invented the Number Zero… to express it :)
  
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Mandors
Posted on April 17, 2012 at 12:06pm
And so it ends how it began.

Goodbye, completely awkward and dangerous orbital system designed to service spy satellites.

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