Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA
Admission: Free, Parking $15
Please note: The parking lot will open at 8:00 am, as will McDonald's. The building will be open its regular hours of 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. The Engen Observation Tower will be closed to the public.
Discovery will depart NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, in the early morning of Tuesday, April 17. It is expected to fly over the Washington, D.C. area between 10:00 and 11:00 am and will then land at Washington Dulles International Airport. Check out these
great locations around town where you can spot the shuttle.
The exact path and timing of the flight depend on weather and operational constraints, but NASA has announced Discovery is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks including the National Mall, Reagan National Airport, National Harbor, and the Udvar-Hazy Center. The Museum will release a list of places to spot the shuttle on April 12. Also, it may be possible for media organizations to identify viewing locations that day. As
Discovery approaches, the Museum will update this web site regularly and make the information available to radio stations. In addition, beginning on April 17 a hotline will be available for those not connected via computer or mobile devices. It will pass along reports of the shuttle's whereabouts as they become available. In Maryland and Washington, DC the number will be
202-633-9100. In Virginia, the number will be
703-572-4100. The numbers are not in service until April 17.
ACTIVITIES
Spot the Shuttle. People in the D.C. area, from students to office workers, are invited to participate in Spot the Shuttle activities:
Coffee Break. Forget the employee lounge and take your morning cup outside to watch for Discovery. Spot the Shuttle gatherings are being planned at outdoor restaurants, businesses, schools, and private homes. Follow #SpotTheShuttle on Twitter to find a gathering or invite others to join yours.
Snap a Shot. Take a photo of Discovery and share it in the Museum's Flickr group, on Twitter with #SpotTheShuttle, or on our Facebook page. If you take a video, share it on YouTube and tag it with #SpotTheShuttle. We might feature your photo or video!
Register Your Name. If you spot Discovery, register your name with the Museum and you could win one of five chances to sit in the VIP section at the Welcome Discovery Transfer Ceremony on April 19. Watch this website on April 17 for instructions on how to participate.
Park and View. Follow the media coverage to find out if you should pull over and look up! Check-In on Facebook or Foursquare. Share where you saw Discovery and include #SpotTheShuttle with your check-in.
Terrific Locations. The best place to view the orbiter as it approaches Dulles International Airport is the parking lot of the Udvar-Hazy Center. Visitors are invited to BYOB -- bring your own breakfast and join fellow shuttle spotters in the lot. The parking lot will open early at 8:00 a.m. and McDonald's will also be open. Parking fee: $15.
Other publicly accessible locations for spotting the shuttle:
District of Columbia
- The National Mall, including Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the east end
- Hains Point at East Potomac Park, south of the Jefferson Memorial and the 14th Street Bridge
- The Southwest Waterfront Park
Virginia
- Long Bridge Park, located at 475 Long Bridge Dr. in Arlington
- Old Town Alexandria waterfront
- Gravelly Point, just off the George Washington Parkway, near National Airport
In Maryland
- National Harbor, just off the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George's County, Md. Follow Beltway exits
Don't forget your binoculars!
The actual touchdown at the airport will not be visible but arrangements are being made to broadcast the arrival on NASA TV, the web, and through media coverage. After the shuttle arrives, it will be taken to another area of the airport, where it will be de-mated from the 747 and made ready for towing to the Museum. This process will take two days.
Date is weather dependent.
Here are some great places to watch the shuttle as it flies by.
For motorists, the Museum recommends Safe Driving Tips for spotting the shuttle, provided by AAA:
These Spot the Shuttle Safe Driving Tips are made possible by Lincoln Automotive.
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