On March 9, 2011, space shuttle Discovery left Earth orbit for the final time, descending through the atmosphere and landing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, completing its last mission after 27 years of service. Discovery was the third orbiter built and the first one to be retired, preceding Endeavor and Atlantis as the space shuttle program was wound up in 2011. Discovery is now on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, where visitors can discover more about this complex machine and its history.
Discovery first flew in 1984. Through tragic circumstances, it became the oldest orbiter still in service following the destruction of Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. Discovery flew 39 missions, cumulatively spending exactly one year in orbit. It flew 150 million miles, carrying a total of 251 astronauts, both the most of any orbiter. After touching down at KSC and completing the 133rd space shuttle mission, Discovery was decommissioned and ferried to its new home on the back of a specially designed Boeing 747 in April 2012.
Discovery now occupies a prominent place in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Udvar-Hazy Center, which is part of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The orbiter sits on its wheels on the hangar floor, allowing visitors to walk all around the spacecraft and see it from all angles. Other space-related objects in the hangar provide further context, such as the Manned Maneuvering Unit which allowed spacewalking astronauts to move around untethered from the shuttle.
The Udvar-Hazy Center contains more than 200 aircraft and spacecraft in all, with more than 3,000 artifacts on display. Other highlights include an example of the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet-propelled aircraft in history, and an Air France Concorde, the world’s first supersonic airliner in service. Free guided tours are available for groups with advanced reservations, and the facility offers bus parking as well as an on-site Shake Shack location for easy dining.
For more, visit the Smithsonian website.
Main Image: Shuttle Discovery, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia; Credit: Adobe/Gary Riegel
