Discovery Atop 747 - Smithsonian Castle

Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) is seen from the National Mall as it flies near the Smithsonian Castle (foreground) Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington, D.C. Discovery, the first orbiter retired from NASA’s shuttle fleet, completed 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited the Earth 5,830 times, and traveled 148,221,675 miles. NASA will transfer Discovery to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. to begin its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and to educate and inspire future generations of explorers.