PHOTOS: Discovery soars over nation's capital


After departing its home port in Florida at sunrise, the shuttle Discovery reached the Washington, D.C., area shortly before 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, flying piggyback on a Boeing 747 carrier aircraft over the Potomac River and National Mall on four low-altitude passes.

Discovery, a veteran of 39 space missions since 1984, touched down at 11:05 a.m. EDT at nearby Dulles International Airport, site of the shuttle's new home at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

These photos were taken from the upper level of the Netherlands Carrilon in Arlington, Va.

Photo credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now

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