Heading To Dulles Airport And Smithsonian Institution April 17th

NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) 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 FAA, is scheduled to occur between 1000 and 1100 EDT.

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.

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.

If the flight must be postponed for any reason, an additional notice will be released. (NASA file image)

FMI: www.nasa.gov/transition