posted 04-02-2012 03:05 PM               

Viewing space shuttle Discovery's final ferry flight and museum delivery

This thread is intended for members' comments and viewing reports about the space shuttle Discovery's delivery to the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

Weather permitting, Discovery will depart NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on the morning of Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Ferried atop a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, Discovery will be flown to Washington Dulles International Airport for a midmorning landing the same day.

Two days later, on Thursday, April 19, the Smithsonian will Welcome Discovery during a formal arrival ceremony at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

posted 04-02-2012 04:48 PM               

Say Farewell to Discovery

On April 17, 2012, space shuttle Discovery will depart out of the Kennedy Space Center for the last time. This time on top of a Boeing 747! The orbiter will be placed on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and flown to its new destination at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

In celebration of the fly-out, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will be hosting four days worth of activities for guests including:

• Special "Discovery" tour including a drive-by of the Mate/Demate Device at the Shuttle Landing Facility to view Discovery as it is mated to the SCA (April 14 and 15). Additional fees will apply.
  
• Appearances by crews from inaugural and final missions, STS 41-D and STS-133 (April 16).

On Tuesday, April 17, guests will have the opportunity to witness the departure of Discovery from the Visitor Complex. A limited number of tickets will be available to witness the fly-out from the actual Shuttle Landing Facility.

posted 04-05-2012 02:42 PM               

April 17 Flyover

Shuttle crew attending the 9 a.m. National Air and Space Society Discovery Fly-by Reception and breakfast at Udvar-Hazy may include Bill Readdy (Discovery STS-42, STS-51) and Tom Jones.

The piggybacked space shuttle Discovery is expected to enter D.C. air space at 10 a.m. EDT and should be on the ground by 10:30. A contingency second window that day extends from 1 p.m until 1:30 EDT.

[The impression I got is that, due to the necessity of placing commercial air traffic in a holding pattern throughout the D.C. area during the approach and landing, there might not be a grandiose leisurly fly about of the town. Rather, they'll be putting it on the ground rather quickly.]

April 20 Discovery Day

Guests at the 8:30 a.m. EDT Discovery Member Preview for NASS members may include some or all of the following Discovery astronauts:

• Don Williams (Discovery STS-51D)
  
• Bill Readdy (Discovery STS-42, STS-51)
  
• Scott Horowitz (Discovery STS-82, STS-105)
  
• Alan Poindexter (Discovery STS-131)
  
• Frederick Sturckow (Discovery STS-105, STS-128)
  
• Kenneth Reightler, Jr. (Discovery STS-48, STS-60

posted 04-06-2012 07:06 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
According to the National Air and Space Museum, 14 out of the 31 living Discovery mission commanders will attend the arrival ceremony on April 19.

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I have: Archambault – 119; Bobko – 51D; Bolden – 60; Bowersox - 82; Brandenstein – 51G; Brown – 85, 95, 103;Coats – 29R, 39; Collins – 114; Creighton – 48; Culbertson – 51; Duffy – 92; Engle – 51I; Grabe - 42; Gregory – 33R; Hartsfield – 41D; Hauck – 51A, 26R; Henricks – 70; Horowitz – 105; M. Kelly – 124; Lindsey – 121, 133; Mattingly – 51C; Melroy - 120; Polansky – 116; Poindexter - 131; Precourt - 91; R. Richards – 41, 64; Rominger - 96; Shriver – 31R; Sturckow - 128; Wetherbee – 63, 102; and D. Walker.

posted 04-06-2012 09:01 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by astro-nut:
Who will be the pilots for the ferry flights of Discovery and Enterprise (and later Endeavour) in the SCA?

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Pilots are Jeff Moultrie, Ace Beall, Bill Rieke, Bob Zimmermann, Frank Batteas, Bill Brockett. F/E's are Henry Taylor, Larry LaRose (and possibly Tim Sandon, still being determined).

posted 04-06-2012 09:19 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Unless I need some caffeine and can't count, I come up with 31 total, including Dave Walker, who is deceased.

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• Curtis L. Brown, Jr. STS-85, STS-95, STS-103
  
• Frederick H. Hauck STS-51-A, STS-26
  
• James D. Wetherbee STS-63, STS-102
  
• Michael L. Coats STS-29, STS-39
  
• Richard N. Richards STS-41, STS-64
  
• Steven W. Lindsey STS-133, STS-121
  
• Alan Poindexter STS-131
  
• Brian Duffy STS-92
  
• Charles F. Bolden, Jr. STS-60
  
• Charles J. Precourt STS-91
  
• Daniel C. Brandenstein STS-51-G
  
• David M. Walker STS-53
  
• Eileen Collins STS-114
  
• Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. STS-51
  
• Frederick D. Gregory STS-33
  
• Frederick W. Sturckow STS-128
  
• Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr. STS-41-D
  
• Joe H. Engle STS-51-I
  
• John O. Creighton STS-48
  
• Karol J. Bobko STS-51-D
  
• Kenneth D. Bowersox STS-82
  
• Kenneth D. Cameron STS-56
  
• Kent V. Rominger STS-96
  
• Lee J. Archambault STS-119
  
• Loren J. Shriver STS-31
  
• Mark E. Kelly STS-124
  
• Mark Polansky STS-116
  
• Pamela Melroy S-120
  
• Ronald J. Grabe STS-42
  
• Scott J. Horowitz STS-105
  
• Terence T. Henricks STS-70
  
• Thomas K. Mattingly II STS-51-C

posted 04-06-2012 09:32 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
You knew this was gonna be asked. Who are the 31?

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posted 04-06-2012 04:44 PM               

I will be at Kennedy Space Center up until the eve of Discovery's departure then at Dulles Airport for the arrival on April 17.

posted 04-06-2012 05:30 PM               

The crowds will certainly be at Dulles, but as has been discussed, the landing itself will not be visible and I don't know where the SCA will park afterward for removal of Discovery. If that is not in a place where it can be viewed, the show will be over as soon as it's on the ground, then I can get in line in DC traffic to drive home.

posted 04-07-2012 05:31 AM               

Actually, the question is, who are the remaining 13 Discovery CDRs who will be there, since Bolden is also noted as speaking.

posted 04-08-2012 12:06 AM               

Discovery Fly-Out Tickets

A limited number of tickets are available for the opportunity to witness the departure of Discovery from the actual Shuttle Landing Facility. Tickets are $85 plus tax per adult and $ 75 plus tax per child (3-11) and include admission and the transportation ticket to the Shuttle Landing Facility. Tickets are available by clicking below or calling 1-866-737-5235. Viewing will also be available from the Visitor Complex. Guests will have a great photo opportunity of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and Discovery as they fly over the Rocket Garden.

The Visitor Complex will be open at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17. Those who have transportation tickets to the Shuttle Landing Facility will begin boarding the buses at 5:30 a.m.

Special Discovery Tour

On April 14 and 15, a special tour package will be offered. The package is $65 per adult and $49 per child (3-11) plus tax and includes admission and the special tour ticket. The tour will drive-by Launch Pad 39A and the Mate/Demate device allowing guests to view space shuttle Discovery as it is secured to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The tour will end at the Apollo/Saturn V Center where guests can get off the bus. The tour will only be offered April 14 and 15.

posted 04-08-2012 05:33 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
So, show of hands — who among our cS community will be trying to spot Discovery during its ferry flight and arrival at Dulles? Where will you be?

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posted 04-09-2012 02:25 PM               

Space Shuttle Discovery to Fly Over Washington Metro Area April 17

NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery mounted atop will fly approximately 1,500 feet above various parts of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area on Tuesday, April 17.

The flight, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, is scheduled to occur between 10 and 11 a.m. EDT. NASA Television and the agency's web site will provide live coverage.

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.

posted 04-12-2012 07:44 AM               

Celebrate the Historic Final Flight of Space Shuttle Discovery April 14 -17

Astronaut Appearances, Special Behind-the-Scenes Tours and Shuttle Fly-Out Viewing

After 27 years of service, 39 missions, 184 astronauts carried, 365 days in space and 148,221,675 miles traveled, space shuttle orbiter Discovery is departing Kennedy Space Center for the last time. Guests will be able to be a part of the farewell celebration April 14 - 17, 2012, at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, just east of Orlando.

The public has the opportunity to see Discovery as it is being prepared for its journey atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). Through scheduled exclusive Discovery bus tours, guests will be able to view the orbiter as it is lifted by the mate-demate device (MDD) and placed atop a specially designed Boeing 747 aircraft.

Additionally, guests can meet astronauts from the first Discovery flight STS-41D and the final Discovery flight STS-133 and hear firsthand accounts of their missions in space. As a collectible, complimentary gift during the four-day festivities, Visitor Center guests will receive a lithograph of the STS-41D and STS-133 crews as a keepsake.

There are two unique opportunities to view the fly-out of Discovery at approximately 7:00 a.m. on April 17. For the first time, a limited number of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex guests will have a front-row seat to witness the departure of Discovery from the Shuttle Landing Facility. Another fly-out viewing option is from the Visitor Complex as the history-setting mission covers the sky above the attraction's Rocket Garden.

Rounding out the Discovery-themed activities is an encore presentation of "The Dream is Alive" in IMAX, as it features images of the first launch and landing of Discovery.

Celebration events for April 14-17 include:

Saturday, April 14, and Sunday, April 15:

• Multiple daily presentations of the IMAX 2D-movie "The Dream is Alive;"
  
• Special Discovery tour, including a drive-by of the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility with viewing of Discovery as it is mated to the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and drive by of Launch Pad 39-A with the tour culminating at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Photo opportunities will be available from the bus. This is an additional ticket price of $20 per adult/$14 per child in addition to regular admission.

Monday, April 16:

• Multiple daily presentations of the IMAX 2D-movie "The Dream is Alive;"
  
• Appearances by crewmembers from the inaugural and final missions of space shuttle Discovery with select photo opportunities;
  • Lunch with the Astronauts of STS-41D, the first flight of Discovery, at noon in the Debus Conference Facility. Confirmed astronauts include Commander Hank Hartsfield, Mission Specialists Steve Hawley and Mike Mullane, and Payload Specialist Charlie Walker;
    
  • Astronaut Encounter with the crews of STS-41D and STS-133 from 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with limited seating based on a first come, first serve basis.

Tuesday, April 17:

• Limited availability at the Shuttle Landing Facility for guests to view take-off and fly-over. Additional transportation and ticket price for this up-close historic opportunity is $40 per person plus admission;
  
• Fly-over of Discovery at 300 feet above the Rocket Garden. Viewing is included in regular admission price. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and arrive by 6:00 a.m.;
  • Discovery Crew appearance by select members of the STS-41D crew;
    
  • Live NASA fly-out commentary and video will be broadcast;
• Astronaut Encounter with select members of the STS-41D crew at 11a.m.;
  
• Multiple daily presentations of the IMAX 2D-movie "The Dream is Alive."

posted 04-12-2012 08:24 AM               

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and NASA Announce Places to "Spot the Shuttle"

The Space Shuttle Discovery, expected to arrive in the skies over the Washington area Tuesday, April 17, will be a sight people do not see every day. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, which will receive the historic orbiter from NASA in a ceremony April 19, is encouraging people to look skyward to witness the sight. Together with NASA, the museum is promoting a "Spot the Shuttle" campaign.

Discovery, atop a Boeing 747 modified as a Shuttle Carrier, will leave Kennedy Space Center around dawn and will likely arrive in the Washington area between 10 and 11 a.m. According to NASA, the aircraft is expected to fly near several landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the National Mall, Reagan National Airport, National Harbor and the museum's Udvar-Hazy Center, Discovery's future home.

The exact route and timing of the flight, which is being coordinated in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, will depend on weather and operational constraints.

Some publicly accessible locations where people may be able to "Spot the Shuttle" are listed below.

District of Columbia

• The National Mall, including Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the east end
  
• Hains Point at East Potomac Park, south of the Jefferson Memorial and the 14th Street Bridge
  
• The Southwest Waterfront Park

Virginia

• Long Bridge Park, located at 475 Long Bridge Dr. in Arlington
  
• Old Town Alexandria waterfront
  
• Gravelly Point, just off the George Washington Parkway, near National Airport

Maryland

• National Harbor, just off the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George's County, Md. Follow Beltway exits

For a close-up view as the carrier approaches Dulles Airport, the museum suggests shuttle spotters gather at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center parking lot. The lot will open at 8 a.m.; there is a $15 parking charge. McDonald's will be open for breakfast, pastries and coffee; people may also bring their own breakfast.

Individuals who spot the shuttle while driving are encouraged to pay close attention to safety. In cooperation with AAA, the museum is offering Safe Driving Tips for Spotting the Shuttle, which can be found on its website.

For information about Discovery events at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, including the transfer ceremony and Welcome Discovery, a four-day festival of space-related activities presented by the museum in cooperation with NASA, visit discovery.si.edu.

For more about Spot the Shuttle, including social media opportunities for sharing photos, videos and impressions, visit this website.

The museum has established telephone hotlines to get current information on the shuttle as it travels from Florida to the Washington area. In Washington, D.C., call (202) 633-9100. In Virginia, call (703) 572-4100. Note: The hotlines will not be live until April 17.

posted 04-16-2012 01:24 PM               

Spot the shuttle: How to see Discovery on final flight to the Smithsonian

Look up! It's a bird and a plane...

Space shuttle Discovery will take to the air on Tuesday morning (April 17), flying piggyback atop a NASA jumbo jet from Florida to Washington, D.C. to be delivered to the Smithsonian for display. Those along its flight path are in store for low passes, historic flybys and overall, quite the sky show.

posted 04-16-2012 04:10 PM               

The Discovery Fly-by Breakfast Reception will be held in the 5th Floor Shell and Balcony on top of the Airbus IMAX Theatre at the Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It will provide a wonderful view of the projected flight path of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

posted 04-16-2012 10:19 PM               

The other aircraft on the patch is the the C-9 Pathinder, not a shuttle training aircraft, that will fly ahead of Discovery on the way to the nation's capital.

The Pathinder will land at Dulles about 40 minutes before the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

posted 04-17-2012 06:27 AM               

Space shuttle Discovery takes off on final flight to the Smithsonian

Space shuttle Discovery, NASA's fleet leader and the world's most flown spacecraft, lifted off for the last time on Tuesday (April 17) to be delivered to the Smithsonian for permanent display.

Discovery took off atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, leaving the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:58 a.m. EDT (1058 GMT), just after dawn, for Washington, D.C. The ferry flight was expected to take about three and a half hours to complete.