Discovery’s Final Voyage

Today, NASA “flew” the Space Shuttle Discovery for the final time. Discovery was loaded on top of a modified Boeing 747 and carried piggy-back to its final stop, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Washington DC.

Susan heard about the final flight’s plan to fly south to Melbourne before turning back to the north, so we had no choice but to try to see it for ourselves. We struggled out of bed before 6:00 am, got showered and dressed, and headed for the Pineda Causeway. I was surprised by all the traffic heading east so early in the morning, but then again, I wasn’t surprised at all. People in these parts love their shuttle program and are very sad to have it gone.

As we approached the coast, we knew we wouldn’t have time to reach the beach, so I parked in the grass on the side of the road and we walked back toward the bridge. From the bridge, we were able to cross under the highway and safely reach the north side.

Within minutes, we saw the silhouette rising above the horizon, many miles to the north. The plane and shuttle flew south along the beach, passing through a beautiful, orange sunrise. After passing us, it turned to the right, over the river, then flew over us on its way back to Kennedy Space Center, and finally Washington, DC.

		Discovery's Final Voyage 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL