Shuttle Discovery Flies To Washington
Lots of us grew up in what I guess you could call the space age. It started with Sputnik and progressed from there. There were animals in space and then manned orbital space flights. Then it was on to the moon. Space stations were built, communication satellites were placed in orbit, deep space probes were sent on years long missions to explore our universe and beyond. We put research vehicles on neighboring planets.
The shuttles were a highlight of the space program. They blasted up there and were flown back to earth. On a trip to Florida I visited Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space Center. You can’t imagine the size and scale of facilities and the rockets used to get the shuttle ready and launched. I’m a big fan of space travel and I’d take a ride on a shuttle if it were offered. However, that’s not going to happen as the program has been shut down.
The shuttles are being sent to three locations around the U.S., Discovery has been flown to Washington DC to be placed on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It was transported on the back of a specially equipped Boeing 747. A lot of people along its flight path got a last look at a piece of American Space Flight History.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
SPACE