Friday, April 27, 2012

With the Empire State Building in the background, the shuttle Enterprise, mated atop NASA 905, flies above New York City on April 27, 2012.
NASA / Robert Markowitz

Welcome (back) to the Big Apple, Enterprise! Earlier this morning, the prototype space shuttle orbiter Enterprise safely touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City...where she will stay for several weeks before being transported (via barge) to her final home at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum up the Hudson River. This comes more than a week after her retired, space-flown sister ship Discovery took Enterprise's spot inside the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. The last time Enterprise flew over the Big Apple was in 1983...when she was coming back from an overseas trip to the Paris Air Show.

Prior to landing at JFK Airport, Enterprise—mounted atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (a.k.a. NASA 905, a modified Boeing 747)—did a flyover of New York City before touching down on terra firma. I hope you enjoyed the show, New Yorkers! Us folks in Los Angeles are next up in line to see a shuttle, which will be Endeavour, fly around our city in late September (hopefully)...right before she touches down at Los Angeles International Airport, and travels on 12 miles worth of badly-paved roads (I kid) to her final home at the California Science Center in downtown L.A.

Even if an L.A. flyover doesn't occur, it's all good. (No it isn't. That would suck big time.) At least we have a real space shuttle coming to the City of Angels. Oh snap! I had to get that dig in, New York.


The shuttle Enterprise and NASA 905 fly over the New York City skyline on April 27, 2012.
NASA / Matt Hedges

With the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building in the foreground, the shuttle Enterprise and NASA 905 fly over New York City on April 27, 2012.
NASA / Bill Ingalls

With the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and 1 World Trade Center down below, the shuttle Enterprise and NASA 905 fly over New York City on April 27, 2012.
NASA / Bill Ingalls

The shuttle Enterprise and NASA 905 fly near the 1 World Trade Center in New York City on April 27, 2012.
B. Walker - Crapapult.com

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