Space Shuttle Discovery to Take Flight Over Washington D.C. Next Week

As NASA begins to relocate the now retired Space Shuttle fleet to its new homes, those on the ground will get a rare glimpse and an opportunity to watch a Space Shuttle fly overhead carried on the back of the Boeing-747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA).

Space Shuttle Discovery, making its way to its new home at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. will be in view as it flies overhead the Washington metro area atop the SCA on Tuesday April 17th. Discovery and the SCA will fly at a low altitude of approximately 1,500 feet around various parts of the Washington, D.C. to give those on the ground an opportunity to get a good look.

According to NASA, the flight, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is scheduled to occur between 10 and 11 a.m. EDT. Events related to the relocation of Discovery, including the flight itself will be carried by NASA Television and the agency’s web.

The exact route and timing of the flight depend on weather and operational constraints. However, the aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the National Mall, Reagan National Airport, National Harbor and the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center. When the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at Dulles International Airport.

During its life cycle, Shuttle Discovery completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the National Air and Space Museum to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers.