The Discovery successfully launched for the last time a year ago, and it will be the first of NASA’s three space shuttles to land at its retirement home — the shuttles are all decommissioned since the United States ended its manned shuttle program. The Endeavour will be the next ship out. According to NPR, the shuttle will travel from Florida to the California Science Center in Los Angeles sometime later in the year. Then, in November, the final ship, Atlantis, will be installed in Kennedy Space Center’s visitor centre.
It’s nice that all the ships will be on display for the general public, but we can’t help a feeling of sadness every time we read one of these stories about the end of the shuttle program. [NASA via NPR]
Image: NASA
Thus making the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum an even more awesome place to visit. Seriously, that place is awesome.