Photograph courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum.
In a city where what flies over the National Mall and adjacent landmarks is highly restricted to mainly the President, tomorrow will bring a remarkable exception: a low-to-the-ground flyover by the Space Shuttle Discovery, riding piggy-back on a 747. Discovery, the oldest and most flown of the shuttle fleet, will be on its way to its retirement home at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center, where it will go on permanent exhibition beginning Friday morning.
A spokeswoman at the Air & Space Museum conceded that Tuesday’s event is “all about the weather.” Isabel Lara said there will be a 5 am meeting of NASA officials to determine if the weather is favorable at the take-off point, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the landing-point, Dulles Airport, which connects to Udvar-Hazy. Right now conditions look good.
While NASA won’t release precise route or time information, they will say the “window” is between 10 and 11 am. The 747 will fly at an elevation of only 1,500 feet.
The best sites for viewing the flyover are:
The National Mall
Reagan National Airport
National Harbor
The Georgetown Waterfront Park
The Udvar-Hazy Center
Lara said she hopes people will “take a coffee break” to get outside for the event. We hope so, too, and that you’ll take cameras, in whatever form. Please send us your best photos at photocontest@washingtonian.com or upload them to Flickr and tag The Washingtonian. We’ll post the best shots here tomorrow after the flyover.
Also, the Air & Space Museum has set up a Twitter link at #spottheshuttle.
Send Us Your Shuttle Flyover Photos
Help us share what you saw when the shuttle Discovery flies over DC Tuesday.
In a city where what flies over the National Mall and adjacent landmarks is highly restricted to mainly the President, tomorrow will bring a remarkable exception: a low-to-the-ground flyover by the Space Shuttle Discovery, riding piggy-back on a 747. Discovery, the oldest and most flown of the shuttle fleet, will be on its way to its retirement home at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center, where it will go on permanent exhibition beginning Friday morning.
A spokeswoman at the Air & Space Museum conceded that Tuesday’s event is “all about the weather.” Isabel Lara said there will be a 5 am meeting of NASA officials to determine if the weather is favorable at the take-off point, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the landing-point, Dulles Airport, which connects to Udvar-Hazy. Right now conditions look good.
While NASA won’t release precise route or time information, they will say the “window” is between 10 and 11 am. The 747 will fly at an elevation of only 1,500 feet.
The best sites for viewing the flyover are:
Lara said she hopes people will “take a coffee break” to get outside for the event. We hope so, too, and that you’ll take cameras, in whatever form. Please send us your best photos at photocontest@washingtonian.com or upload them to Flickr and tag The Washingtonian. We’ll post the best shots here tomorrow after the flyover.
Also, the Air & Space Museum has set up a Twitter link at #spottheshuttle.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Georgetown Cupcake Shut Down by DC Health Department
Bruno, the French Bulldog Taken at Gunpoint, Found Dead
Honest Tea Is Being Scrapped by Coca-Cola. Its Founder Has a Plan.
Why Is the National Archives Pursuing Trump’s Records? A Former Official Explains.
Photos: Intense Flooding Around DC During Last Night’s Storm
Washingtonian Magazine
August 2022: Taco Town
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This August
Why Do We Care So Much About Presidential Pooches?
The Tiny DC Art Space With a 20-Year History
Telling the Stories of 7,700 People Buried at Arlington Cemetery
More from News & Politics
Bruno, the French Bulldog Taken at Gunpoint, Found Dead
Austin Tice Abduction Anniversary Will Be Marked by National Press Club Event
Honest Tea Is Being Scrapped by Coca-Cola. Its Founder Has a Plan.
That Time Congressman Mark Pocan Did Magic Tricks for Uzi-Toting Guerrillas
Washington Wizards Reintroduce Classic Uniforms
Photos: Intense Flooding Around DC During Last Night’s Storm
Georgetown Cupcake Shut Down by DC Health Department
Summer Days at Some DC Public Pools Can Be Like a Party