CA: Space shuttle to leave state Friday

Orange County Register ^ | Thursday, August 18, 2005 | AP

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

DWARDS AIR FORCE BASE – Space shuttle Discovery is tentatively scheduled to leave California on Friday, more than a week after it was diverted to the Mojave Desert in the first shuttle flight since the Columbia accident.

Discovery's cross-country ferry to Cape Canaveral, Fla., expected to cost at least $1 million, has been postponed twice – first because of Monday's thunderstorms, then because of problems Wednesday in trying to attach a 10,000-pound aluminum tail cone to the shuttle to eliminate drag during flight.

[Echo Talon]

[76834]

Best minds right now sez is it will land at Abilene, Texas
for a layover.
Dyess AFB to be exact.

Will be keeping an eye out for more info and will advise

[newzjunkey]

(( ( ( Shuttle Discovery PING ) ) ))

[newzjunkey]

Is that Enterprise?

[VeniVidiVici]

I saw it in El Paso once.

I'd like to get a shot of it myself piggybacked like that.

[Blue Champagne]

Any information on what time it will depart?

[76834]

Have never seen one like this but:
If it is gonna land at Dyess you can be I will make the 55 mile trip north to see it.
Will take plenty of pix and post them for my FReeper buds

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Still after all of these years, it amazes me how the space shuttle can ride piggy back on a 747.

[Echo Talon]

you know what.. I have no idea which one that is. Endeavor? Not sure... I just found the picture in Yahoo image search. :D

[centexan]

I saw it land at Fort Hood several years ago. That and watching the large orange trail across the sky when it reenters at night are among the coolest things I have ever seen.

[Echo Talon]

I know, throw aerodynamics out the window... looks like they have modified the tailsection to make it work.

[76834]

If you have positive info that it will be Grey Field please advise

[BurbankKarl]

and Discovery is the next one going up in March 2006. The external tanks have all been barged back to Louisiana

[clawrence3]

I can't find info on whether the public will be allowed into Edwards for takeoff . . . can anyone help?

[clawrence3]

O.K. - I found the departure time: 6:00 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. - I guess that answers my other question too ; )

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=17786

[RadioAstronomer]

I was working at SAEF-II at the Cape when they flew one in this way. :-)

(Mad rush out of the building to see it)

[centexan]

From NASA's site:

At NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California, Discovery's return to Kennedy Space Center, Fla has begun. The orbiter is attached to one of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the cross-country ferry flight. Discovery departed Edwards on time with wheels-up at approximately 11:31 a.m. EDT. Flying ahead of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is a "pathfinder" KC-135 aircraft, which will monitor the weather in the flight path for the 747's crew.

The ferry flight should take about 3 hours, 10 minutes. The pair will make a refueling stop at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma and then, weather permitting, continue on to an overnight stop at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Arrival at Kennedy is expected late Saturday morning.

[eyespysomething]

I saw it at Robins AFB in GA in about 1989. I have a pic I should probably get scanned into the computer.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks, I didn't even know about this AFB.....

Altus AFB
34°39'N 99°16'W