Watch Space Shuttle Discovery Fly Again – Into its Retirement at the Smithsonian

For those hoping to watch another space shuttle take flight, there is another chance, sort of. While not a dramatic and awe inspiring as a space shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center, NASA has announced one final flight for Space Shuttle Discovery. This time instead of blasting off into space, however, Discovery will be making a flight to its new retirement home in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

A full schedule of media events and viewing opportunities have been planned by NASA at KSC as Shuttle Discovery will be mounted and flown piggy-back aboard the NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747, to transport Discovery to Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling, Va., on Tuesday, April 17.

Media events, many of which will be broadcast via NASA TV, and can also be viewed on this page below (so come back often to watch), begin with the arrival of the SCA 747 at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Tuesday, April 10th at 5:30 p.m. EST. The following day from 9AM to 11AM the media is invited to get a tour of the SCA and an interview opportunity with pilots and crew.

On Saturday, April 14th from 5 a.m.-6 p.m. Space Shuttle Discovery will be rolled out for the final time from the Vehicle Assembly Building’s high bay 4 to Shuttle Landing Facility Mate/Demate Device. Discovery will then be mated with the SCA, a procedure which will last until about 7 p.m.

Monday, April 16 will consist of some interviews with STS-133 crew members and space shuttle transition and retirement managers, and then the next morning, Tuesday, April 17th, the Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to departs at first light around 7AM EST.

NASA TV (watch here) will broadcast the Departure of Shuttle Discovery starting at 6:45AM EST, and will also broadcast the arrival in Washington Dulles on Thursday April 19th.

Live video from your Android device on Ustream

After arriving at Washington Dulles, Discovery will be removed from the SCA and moved to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. for permanent public display on Thursday, April 19.