News Discovery to fly over Washington DC

[ky]

to Discovery on it's final journey

 

[Kyle]

Hope the SCA's flight plan includes a 180 degree rotation over the White House to allow Discovery to give it the bird for it's retirement.

 

[NovaSilisko]

Hope the SCA's flight plan includes a 180 degree rotation over the White House to allow Discovery to give it the bird for it's retirement.

Please keep politics out of this. It's supposed to be about celebrating what Discovery accomplished as it takes to the air for the final time.

 

[Kyle]

Please keep politics out of this. It's supposed to be about celebrating what Discovery accomplished as it takes to the air for the final time.

Nothing to do with politics, just a joke.

Though, that is an interesting question - will it fly over the White House? Certainly make a good photo op.

 

[orb]

Florida Today:

• Discovery's final mission 'like losing a family member'
• Shuttle'ssweet ride to DC

 

[orb]

Florida Today: Your chance to see Discovery up close

NASA: Space Shuttle Discovery to Fly Over Washington Metro Area April 17

Google Maps: Sites for Viewing Space Shuttle Discovery

 

[orb]

Florida Today: Here's your shot to see Discovery

collectSPACE:

• Now boarding: Inside NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
  
  
• Now boarding: Inside NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (PHOTO GALLERY)

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now:

• Discovery rolls to the runway for retirement ride
  
  
• Ferryflight Status Center
  
  
• A photo tour of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (PAGE 2)

NASASpaceflight: Discovery heads into her mating operations with SCA ahead of final flight

collectSPACE: Space shuttle Discovery returns to runway for ride to Smithsonian

Florida Today: Discovery being attached to 747 for final voyage

NASA: Images of the preparations for Discovery's display at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum (PHOTO GALLERY)

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: Ferryflight Status Center:

1907 GMT (3:07 p.m. EDT)SCRUB. Today's mating operation of Discovery onto the 747 has been cancelled due to higher than allowable winds. Work will resume tomorrow at 5 a.m. EDT in hopes of better weather.

There should be sufficient slack in the schedule to catch up on the delayed activities and still depart on the ferryflight Tuesday morning as planned, NASA says.

collectSPACE: Winds delay space shuttle Discovery's lift atop Smithsonian-bound jet

Florida Today: Windy weather delays Discovery lift

 

[orb]

Discovery is being lowered onto the SCA right now.

You can watch it live there:
http://www.livestream.com/spaceflightnow

 

[Yoda]

Watching this just breaks my heart; I was 13 when the first shuttle lifted off and I've watched each shuttle flight throughout my life.
Watching these shuttle's go into a museum with 60% lifespan left is heartbreaking, especially knowing we don't have anything to replace them and probably won't have anything for a long time to come.

We as a nation have cut our manned spaceprogram short and sooner or later it will come back to haunt us.

 

[IronRain]

 

[Codz]

Watching this just breaks my heart; I was 13 when the first shuttle lifted off and I've watched each shuttle flight throughout my life.
Watching these shuttle's go into a museum with 60% lifespan left is heartbreaking, especially knowing we don't have anything to replace them and probably won't have anything for a long time to come.

We as a nation have cut our manned spaceprogram short and sooner or later it will come back to haunt us.

Apollo-Shuttle gap.

 

[zerofay32]

Apollo-Shuttle gap.

The difference between this gap and the 1970's gap is that by the time Apollo and the cobbled together Skylab and ASTP were done, the shuttle was in the later development stages and ALT were only two years away (and work on Columbia was in the advanced stages during ALT). The shuttle was planned to start ops in 79 and was slipped to 81.

That's a planned gap of 4 years. With an actual gap of 6 years.

The next planned test in regards to manned spaceflight is the Orion test flight (unmanned) in 2014 (3 years from the end of shuttle ops). The next planned flight (unmanned) is scheduled for 2017.

Planned gap in manned spaceflight is 6+ years. Actual gap will be longer with slips in the schedule. Also, NASA had the full backing of the president and congress for the STS. Not so with SLS. So, this is nothing like the Apollo gap.

 

[orb]

Universe Today: Shuttle Discovery Mated to 747 Carrier for her Final Flight to Smithsonian Home

collectSPACE:

• Space shuttle Discovery mated to jumbo jet for ride to Smithsonian
  
  
• Spot the shuttle: How to see Discovery on final flight to the Smithsonian

Florida Today:

• Discovery all set for Space Coast swan song
  
  
• Share your space shuttle Discovery flyover photos, videos

Spaceflight Now:

• Space shuttle ferryflight to Smithsonian ready for takeoff
  
  
• Public can get up-close view of shuttle ferryflight takeoff

SPACE.com:

• Astronauts Bid Farewell to Space Shuttle Discovery
  
  
• Space Shuttle Discovery Mounted Atop Jumbo Jet for Ride to Smithsonian
  
  
• Space Shuttle Discovery Takes Final Flight This Week ... to Smithsonian
  
  
• Spot the Shuttle: How to See Discovery on Final Flight to the Smithsonian

 

[MattBaker]

Planned gap in manned spaceflight is 6+ years. Actual gap will be longer with slips in the schedule. Also, NASA had the full backing of the president and congress for the STS. Not so with SLS. So, this is nothing like the Apollo gap.

Planned gap by NASA, the CCDev partners should be ready by 2015-2017, depending on the funding in future years.

 

[Andy44]

This is not a thread about the manned gap, blah blah blah.

This is a thread about how I'm going to skip work tomorrow to go see a shuttle riding on the back of a 747.

 

[zerofay32]

Unfortunately, I have to do some flying of my own tomorrow for work, in West Virginia. Close, but not close enough. And I can't watch anything they put on NASA TV either. Bummer... :thumbsdown:

 

[orb]

Universe Today: Discovery Poised for Final Takeoff on April 17

Discovery News: Shuttle Discovery Begins New Life as Museum Piece

SPACE.com: Space Shuttle Discovery to Take Last-Ever Flight Today


Florida Today:

• Discovery farewell tough for KSC family
  
  
• Share your space shuttle flyover photos, videos

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Gone is the wind.....

She's gone, gone, gone......