For the last several days , Space Shuttle Discovery has been fix for one last flight . Tomorrow , conditions permitting , Discovery will make the trip from Florida ’s Kennedy Space Center to the Smithsonian ’s National Air and Space Museum ’s Steven F. Udvar - Hazy Center in Chantilly , VA from atop a repurposed Boeing 747 super acid airliner — an airliner competently name the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft ( SCA ) .
NASA photographers have been shoot tons of photo of the entire mounting procedure , from the reaching of the SCA at Kennedy Space Center last Tuesday , all the mode up until this morning , when Discovery , fully mounted atop the SCA , second out of the apparatus NASA used to safely secure the shuttle . Here are a few of our favorite motion picture .
This overhead view shows Shuttle Carrier Aircraft park on the apron of the runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida . The aircraft , recognise as an SCA , arrived at 5:35 p.m. EDT [ April 10 , 2012 ] to prepare for birdie Discovery ’s ferry flying to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Sterling , Va. , on April 17 .
This SCA , designate NASA 905 , is a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner , originally manufactured for commercial manipulation . One of two SCAs employed over the course of the Space Shuttle Program , NASA 905 is assigned to the persist ferry missions , delivering the shuttles to their lasting public display sites .
The newly arrived Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is picture through the platform of the mate - demate machine at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida .
Here you see Discovery in the tremendous Vertical Assembly Building . Behind her is the largest threshold in the human race . It is 456 infantry tall and takes 45 transactions to open up .
Here is avideo ( HD)[taken by Steve Jurvetson ] as they afford the doorway and bath the satellite with sunlight . I walked all around and under the orbiter before taking some 360 ° pano shot . [ pic and legend by Steve Jurvetson ]
Space shuttle Discovery undulate out of the Vehicle Assembly Building , or VAB , at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida , into shadow for its misstep to the Shuttle Landing Facility , or SLF . Its move got under way at 5 ante meridiem EDT [ April 14 , 2012 ] . Discovery was in storage in the VAB ’s high bay 4 look departure from Kennedy ’s Launch Complex 39 area for the last time . At the SLF , Discovery will be wind onto a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft , or SCA , with the assistance of a mate - demate gadget .
Space Shuttle Discovery ’s move from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the Shuttle Landing Facility , or SLF , is complete as the day give out over NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida [ on April 15 , 2012 ] .
Preparations are under way at the the mate - demate gimmick , or MDD , at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to lift space shuttlecock Discovery atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft , or SCA .
The MDD is a large gauntry - like brand structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and set it onto the back of an SCA .
At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida , a crane attached to the sling supporting quad shuttle Discovery lifts the shuttle inside the mate - demate twist during operations to position Discovery on top of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft .
At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida , the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is positioned beneath space shuttle Discovery in the mate - demate gadget . Discovery will be lower and mated to the aircraft in readiness for its departure from Kennedy on Tuesday . The twist , know as the MDD , is a great gantry - alike blade structure used to wind a bird off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft , or SCA .
At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida , initial mating of space shuttle Discovery and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is complete in the mate - demate machine . Known as the “ lenient mate ” [ suggesting the fond regard has been made but has yet to be settle ] , the process was perfect at about 11:15 a.m. EDT .
As the sunshine rises [ on April 16 , 2012 ] , preparations are under elbow room for the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying space shuttle Discovery to back out of the Shuttle Landing Facility ’s checkmate - demate gadget at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida .
CAPE CANAVERAL , Fla. – The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying space birdie Discovery backs out of the Shuttle Landing Facility ’s mate - demate gimmick at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida .
At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA ’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida , the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery batten down to its back is parked on the macadam awaiting departure from Kennedy [ the morning of April 17 , 2012 ] .
think : this is just a small sampling of an wide collection of images captured by photographers Kim Shiflett , Tim Jacobs and Dimitri Gerondidakis , and others , all available in jaw - send packing hi - atomic number 75 timbre through NASA ’s photostream andKennedy Space Center Media Gallery . As of this posting , the latter is still updating on a fairly steady , genuine - time basis , but they are both definitely deserving checking out .
NASAScienceSmithsonianSpaceSpace Shuttle
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