Space Shuttle Endeavour's Last Flights
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Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA landed at Edwards Air Force Base with Space Shuttle Endeavour on its journey to Los Angeles on September 20, 2012. This was the first time that a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft brought a shuttle to Edwards from another airport
The media convoy parked along a dirt road a short ditance from Runway 22 Left.
Media photographers move into position to photograph the take-off of NASA F/A-18B Hornet N852NA.
NASA F/A-18B Hornet N852NA took off at 11:38 AM to meet up with the incoming 747/Shuttle stack.
NASA FA-18B Hornet N852NA Taking Off at Edwards AFB on September 20, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
The NASA Social Media contingent arrived at the flightline on a NASA bus.
Umbrellas protected video equipment from the sun as the air temperature rose in to the 90s.
NASA's Douglas DC-9-32 N932NA served as a weather pathfinder for the shuttle. The pathfinder flies ahead of the 747-SCA to observe weather conditions, particularly turbulence and rain. It carries construction number 47476. It was delivered to KLM as PH-DNZ on February 6, 1970. Douglas registered it in the United States as N2679T on December 11, 1981. VIASA leased it on January 27, 1982 and operated it as YV-139C. It was returned to Douglas and registered as N907DC on February 12, 1983. The United States Navy assigned it BuNo 162754 on June 27, 1983 and named it City of Anacortes. NASA acquired it in January 2004. It is used for zero-G training. It flies in parabolic ballistic trajectories to provide about a half minute of zero-G at a time.
vour at Edwards AFB, September 20, 2012"
style="border: 2px solid ; width: 504px; height: 216px;"> The stack made a low pass over the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and Edwards Air Force Base.
The stack circled the base and flew a long downwind leg for Runway 22 Left.
The stack landed on Runway 22 at 12:50 PM.
Space Shuttle Endeavour Landing at Edwards AFB on September 20, 2012. : You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
NASA F/A-18B Hornet N852NA landed shortly after the stack.
NASA FA-18B Hornet N852NA Landing at Edwards AFB on September 20, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
The stack taxied along the main base flightline to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and parked.
NASA Science Video: Space Shuttle Endeavour Arrives at Dryden Flight Research Center in California My white 4Runner can be seen in the media convoy at 5:04.
The flight crew of NASA 905 addressed the assembled media contingent.
The Space Suttle endeavour made the last leg of its cross-country journey from the Kennedy Space center to Los Angeles International Airporton September 21, 2012. The 747/Shuttle stack conducted a tour of California before landing at Los Angeles.
NASA Science Video: Endeavour Space Shuttle Leaves Dryden Flight Research Center in California: The 747/Shuttle stack flew past my position at 4:28.
Endeavor will be removed from the 747-SCA by a pair of cranes overnight. It will be stored at the airport until October 12. That night it will be transported along streets to the California Science Ceter, where it will go on display on October 30.
747-Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA made its last flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Edwards Air Force Base on Monday, September 24. It will provide spare parts of the Straospheric Observatory for Infra-Red Astronomy 747SP N747NA.
NASA video: FA18 extended view of Space Shuttle Endeavour's flyover Southern California. The place in Lot C, where I was taking pictures of the 747/Shuttle stack during its first pass over LAX, is visible at about 4:51. It flew past Lennox Park, where I photographed its approach to landing, at 14:26. Lennox Park was out of frame at the bottom.
You can buy a 2020 calendar
featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. A dozen photos of 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Events depicted include: 747-SCA N905NA/Enterprise Approach and Landing Test 1 take-off on August 12, 1977.
Bill Brockett piloted the 747/Shuttle stack.
Frank Batteas was the co-pilot of the stack.
Larry Larose was the flight engineer aboard the shuttle carrier aircraft.
NASA Dryden employees, their families, and NASA Social Media invitees got a close-up look at the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Space Shuttle Endeavour on Static Display at NASA Dryden FRC right front close, September 20, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
Space Shuttle Endeavour on Static Display at NASA Dryden FRC right front, September 20, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
Space Shuttle Endeavour on Static Display at NASA Dryden FRC front, September 20, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
A TV reporter gets her picture taken in front of the 747/Shuttle stack.
Mission marks on the side of N905NA depict the history of Shuttle Carrier Aircraft operations.
The crew list on the side of N905NA identifies NASA pilots and flight engineers that have flown aboard the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
Detail of the underside of Endeavour reveals how the thermal protection system tiles have turned gray after 25 reentries. Darker tiles reveal where some damaged tiles have been replaced between spaceflights.
The upper surfaces of Endeavour were protected by quilted thermal protection system blankets. The crescent Moon appears near the cockpit windows.
Edwards Air Force Base, September 21
The stack taxied out past the Edwards Air Force Base control tower at 8:00 AM.
NASA F/A-18B Hornet N852NA took off from Runway 04 right at 8:14 AM.
The Hornet chase plane circled the airfield and timed its pass along the runway to coincide with the liftoff fo the 747/Shuttle stack.
The 747/Shuttle stack departed from Runway 04 Left at 8:15 AM. The Hornet chase plane roared past overhead.
Space Shuttle Endeavour Taking Off From Edwards AFB front, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
Space Shuttle Endeavour Departing From Edwards AFB, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 12" x 48".
Space Shuttle Endeavour Taking Off From Edwards AFB, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
The stack turned around and made one final pass over Edwards Air Force Base before flying over Rosamond, Lancaster, and Palmdale.
Space Shuttle Endeavour Departing Edwards AFB, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
The stack flew over Mojave and the Tehachapi Pass on its way to the Central Valley. It visited Sacramento, San Francisco, and the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Federal Airfield. It returned to Southern California by way of Santa Barbara and Malibu. It flew across Santa Monica and flew a circle around Exposition Park.
NASA's Douglas DC-9-32 N932NA took off at 8:29 AM.
NASA DC-9-32 N932NA Wieghtless Wonder IV at Edwards AFB, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
Los Angeles International, September 21, 2012
The stack made its first pass over Los Angeles Internationl Airport along Runway 24 Right on the north side of the airport inthe company of a pair of McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18B Hornets from the Dryden Flight Research Center.
Space Shuttle Endeavour Over LAX with Hornet Chase Plane, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
The stack flew past the Getty Museum, the Hollywood sign in the Hollywood Hills, Griffith Park Observatory, and Universal Studios before circling Jet Propulsion Laboratories. It continued to Orange County to visit Disneyland, Huntington Beach, and the Queen Mary.
The stack passed the Northrop-Grumman Plant as it returned to Los Angeles International Airport and made a pass along Runway 25 Right with its chase planes.
Space Shuttle Endeavour Over LAX, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
Space Shuttle Endeavour Over LAX Profile, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
The stack turned east and flew across el Segundo before turning back to the west to land on Runway 25 Right. Its Hornet chase plane shot pictures and video as it touched down for the last time.
Space Shuttle Endeavour Lands at LAX, September 21, 2012: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".
More Space Shuttle photos
More pictures from Space Shuttle events. More Edwards Air Force Base displays
Edwards AFB displays.
More Space Shuttle photos
More pictures from Space Shuttle events. More Edwards Air Force Base displays
Edwards AFB displays.
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Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
2020 calendar
747-SCA N905NA/Enterprise Approach and Landing Test 4 take-off on October 12, 1977.
747-SCA N905NA/Columbia delivery take-off on March 20, 1979.
747-SCA N905NA/Challenger static and departure take-off on July 4, 1982.
747-SCA N911NA/Endeavor delivery take-off from Palmdale on May 2, 1991.
747-SCA N905NA/Columbia landing at Palmdale on September 25, 1999.
747-SCA N905NA/Discovery take-off on November 2, 2000.
747-SCA N905NA/Atlantis take-off on July 1, 2007.
747-SCA N911NA/Endeavor take-off on December 10, 2008.
747-SCA N911NA/Discovery take-off on September 20, 2009.
747-SCA N905NA/Endeavor flyover at LAX, September 21, 2012.
Put a copy of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Endeavour at Edwards Air Force Base.
Bad weather caused the Space shuttle Endeavour to divert to Edwards Air Force Base at the conclusion of STS-126 on November 30, 2007. Following servicing in the Mate/Demate Device, it departed from Edwards on the back of 747 Carrier Aircraft N911NA on December 10.
Put a copy of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at Edwards Air Force Base: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base.
A dozen photographs of the Space Shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base. Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center caused the Space shuttle Discovery to divert to Edwards Air Force Base at the conclusion of mission STS-128 on September 11, 2009. Following servicing in the Mate/Demate Device, it departed from Edwards on the back of 747 Carrier Aircraft N911NA on September 20.
Put a copy of the Space Shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flights.
A dozen photos of Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flights. Boeing 747-Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA and Space Shuttle Endeavour arrived at Edwards Air Force Base from Biggs Army Airfield on September 20, 2012. The pair were placed on static display at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center that afternoon. The 747/Shuttle stack departed from Edwards Air Force Base on the morning of September 21. It toured California and several landmarks in the LA Basin. It made two low passes over Los Angeles International Airport before making its final landing. The 747-SCA was flown to Edwards Air Force Base on September 24 where it was retired. The Endeavour ison display at the California Science Center.
Put a copy of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flights 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
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