Space Shuttle Discovery’s Final Flight on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA)

By Abdiel A. Santos Galindo, INSPIRE 12th Grade

April 17th of 2012, apart from being the day to return taxes, was a day that we will never forget. It was the moment when Discovery took its final flight but not to space, to the skies. This was done on top a modified Boeing 747. Let’s bring that momentous day back and talk a bit about our trip to see it. Since I live in Puerto Rico, this was an unforgettable opportunity that I will always cherish and want all of you to experience it through this blog.

We arrived at Florida on very early on April 13th. During the time we spent there before the flight my dad and I went to my future University, visited my sister and saw many places in Florida including obviously NASA. In the end, we traveled almost 900 miles of unforgettable experiences in only 5 days. Seeing people from my past internship and getting to meet new ones.

Our planned departure back to the island was on the 17th, the same day of the flight. We left our hotel at 3:30am in the morning and it took us about 1:30hours to get to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Discovery, its ride and escort will take off at 7:00am. So we went early to get a nice spot. An interesting thing about this is that a few days ago we weren’t even planning on being on the state nor going to the takeoff.

We arrived at the Complex at 5:00am looking forward to seeing it. The trip was spectacular, there was fog on the road, little to no traffic and once we got there an amazing unforgettable moon. Big and yellowish just illuminating the area for what was about to happen. Not only this but the most memorable moment of it all was seeing this to the sound of the song made by Elton John called Rocket Man. I didn’t put it on a CD or iPod, it just came up on the radio as we were arriving just as if the rocket man era was saying goodbye for some time. Symbolizing the ending of three decades of Spaceflight. Hearing the song seeing the view of the pads, moon, stars, complex and lights was a very emotional moment.

When we arrived, people where already arriving and we parked ourselves in a strategic place and settle for the waiting time. Soon we saw the NASA buses, but not the one for the guest but the NASA employees. A spectacular flashback passed through my mind because it all looked like the same day I went with the other interns and employees to see Space Shuttle Atlantis land one last time on STS-135.

Later on I took my phone and settled it on the dashboard to see NASA TV while me and my dad waited. They were giving great reviews of the mating process of Discovery and the SCA videos that I didn’t have the chance to see earlier. Soon enough, we were getting closer and closer to takeoff and through the same speakers on the Visitor Complex that took guest through the process of the NASA missions, audio was coming out from Discovery and its past missions -  another emotional moment.

Then as soon as the sun came out the SCA, Discovery and its escort spread their wings and took off. It did a series of impressive flybys and it was just spectacular seeing all of those great engineering marvels flying and waving goodbye to the people who were there to be part of history. The group of aircraft included a T-38, NASA helicopter and another NASA jet. It went from the Shuttle landing facility, to the VAB, the NASA industrial area, Cape Canaveral, Beaches, Patrick Air Force Base, over the Visitor Complex and one last past at the landing complex then later flying of into the sunrise to Washington DC were it gave another spectacular series of flybys. For me all of them were great we got chance to basically see all of the process of it going back and forth either through my phone or with our eyes in the sky.

If I had to choose one it would be when it came over the visitor complex, just going at a mere 300 feet a top us and seeing that dear shuttle, the carrier and its escort going through the rocket garden. That moment will always be remembered in my mind and the pictures that were taken.

Just about half an hour after takeoff we all bid her farewell and a safe trip to her new home were she will be treated well for her success that will be remembered by all mankind. Even though this will soon be done again with Endeavor, every vehicle will carry a different memory that NASA employees and us will always take with us.

I really hope that this has been of great help for you in picturing my experience and I wish you the best in seeing Endeavor takeoff and seeing later on the shuttle in their final monuments in the museums and places around the states. Remember that as the Shuttle fleet says goodbye a new era of Spaceflight will soon begin an era where we will take part of and once again not make the sky our limit, instead it will be space and the entire unknown that it covers and will soon be DISCOVERED.