Filed by KOSU News in US News.
April 27, 2012

Space nuts here in Washington, D.C., had their fun last week when a jumbo jet carrying space shuttle Discovery buzzed the nation’s capital.

This morning, NASA flies space shuttle Enterprise to New York City and there are expected to be some nice photo opportunities from viewing spots along the Hudson River in Manhattan and elsewhere in the five boroughs and New Jersey. NYC Aviation has tips for where to watch.

According to NASA, the jet carrying Enterprise will take off from Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ET. We’ll keep an eye on what’s happening and update this post as warranted.

The shuttles are heading off to their retirement homes. Discovery is now at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center adjacent to Dulles. Enterprise, which never flew in space, is moving from the Udvar-Hazy Center to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex on the Hudson in Manhattan. It will land today at JFK airport. Sometime in June, it’s expected to be floated to the Enterprise museum.

As NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce has reported, space shuttle Endeavour is to go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles sometime in September or October. The last shuttle, Atlantis, will be staying in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Center Complex.

Update at 8:55 a.m. ET. Preparing For Take Off:

According to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the door has been closed on the NASA jet and it’s preparing to take off. [Copyright 2012 National Public Radio]