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Shuttle 'Discovery' Salutes Washington In Last Flight

April 17, 2012

The retired space shuttle "Discovery" flew over the center of the U.S. capital as it headed to its final resting place in a museum.

The world's most traveled spaceship, atop a modified Boeing 747, soared over the Washington Monument, the White House, and the Capitol after a flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The shuttle-jet combo later landed at Dulles International Airport, near Washington.

It will go on show at the Air and Space Museum near the airport.

The shuttle fleet was decommissioned and the program wound up in 2011, after 30 years.

Retirement of NASA's shuttle fleet was ordered by the U.S. government in part due to the high cost of maintaining the ships.

Discovery was the most-used of the fleet, flying 39 missions.

Based on reporting by AP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/discovery_shuttle_last_flight/24551438.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.