NASA’s 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Enterprise mounted atop will fly at a relatively low altitude over various parts of the New York City metropolitan area April 23.
The Federal Aviation Administration is coordinating the flight, which is scheduled to occur between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., EDT.
The exact route and timing of the flight depend on weather and operational constraints, including the on-time delivery of space shuttle Discovery to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., this week. If all goes as planned, the aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the Statue of Liberty and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. When the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
During the weeks following the arrival, Enterprise will be “demated” from the 747 and placed on a barge that will be moved by tugboat up the Hudson River to the Intrepid museum in June. The shuttle will be lifted by crane and placed on the flight deck of the Intrepid, where it will be on exhibit to the public starting this summer in a temporary climate-controlled pavilion. The Intrepid continues to work on a permanent exhibit facility to showcase Enterprise that will enhance the museum’s space-related exhibits and education curriculum.
If the flight is postponed for any reason, an additional notice will be released.
For more information about NASA’s transfer of space shuttles to museums, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition.
