The space shuttle Endeavour, atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is seen shortly after takeoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner is flying Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. Photo Credit: (NASA/Stan Jirman)
Space shuttle Endeavour departs from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Houston and then to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. Photo credit: (NASA/Debbie Odom)
Perhaps coming to the sky near you?
NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour is on its way to Los Angeles. The scheduled route, if all stays on track:
Endeavour took off this morning from Kennedy Space Center on its way to Los Angeles, with a stop-over at Houston.
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) and Endeavour are scheduled to land at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, Sept. 21.
In cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, the SCA is scheduled to conduct low-level flyovers at about 1,500 feet above locations along the planned flight path.
The flight path will take the aircraft to the northwest, across the Florida panhandle and toward Houston after low-level passes over Stennis Space Center in southwest Mississippi at around 8:15 a.m. CDT and Michoud Assembly Facility east of New Orleans at about 8:25 a.m. CDT.
Arriving in the Houston area at approximately 9 a.m. CDT, the SCA crew will initiate a 1,500 flyover of various areas of the city, including downtown, before heading to the Clear Lake area.
The SCA and Endeavour are predicted to land at Ellington Field at about 10:45 a.m. CDT. Public viewing has been extended to 9 p.m. CDT, since the aircraft will remain in Houston for one night rather than two.
The SCA/Endeavour will depart at dawn on Thursday and make a fueling stop at Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso before proceeding to Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
On Friday it will depart Dryden for a flyover of northern California and areas of the Los Angeles basin before landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) between 11 a.m. and noon PDT.
Any time after 10:30 am on Friday watch for flyovers of Endeavour passing regional landmarks such as:
— California Science Center,
— Disneyland,
— The Getty Center,
— Griffith Observatory, and
— Los Angeles International Airport/ Malibu among others.
In October, Endeavour will move to the California Science Center to begin a new mission inspiring future explorers.
During the cross-country ferry flight, social media users are encouraged to share their Endeavour sightings using the hashtags #spottheshuttle and #OV105, Endeavour’s vehicle designation.
For more information on the shuttles’ transition and retirement, visit www.nasa.gov/transition
By Leonard David