Discover Discovery

On April 17, 2012, the day after The Girl ran a hot, humid Boston Marathon and I drove for nine hours, we woke groggily and got on the first Metro to the Mall.  History was happening, and since we're both great big Space Nerds, we wanted to see it happen.

The space shuttle Discovery was getting a ride to her retirement home, and on the way, she was going to fly low over the DC area several times.  I'd been keyed up for this event since a friend sent me a link and I found out that it would happen in my new backyard.  We had grabbed a quick breakfast at Panera, and sat on the Mall (I found out this morning that I should always capitalize that), waiting and wondering where we would see it.

As ten o'clock approached, the area filled with people--most of them seemed to know that Discovery would first appear for us near the Washington Monument, because that was the obvious focal point of the crowd.  We even saw a few camera crews setting up and getting B-roll footage.  Then someone shouted, and everyone leaped to their feet, pointing and cheering as we saw the shuttle swoop low over the horizon--and disappear almost immediately behind the trees.  Surely that couldn't be it?  I didn't even have my camera out in time, and missed part of the flight because I looked down to check the camera.  Give me more, NASA!!

Our patience was soon rewarded; Discovery and her fighter jet escort made three passes over the Mall; on the last two, she was close enough that I could clearly see the NASA logo on the 747's tail fin.

Discovery and the Smithsonian Castle

Nobody else dressed for the occasion.

Discovery had a fighter jet escort, in case she tried anything funny.

I held out my thumb; they didn't even slow down.