All hail Discovery..

A bittersweet day today as the Space Shuttle Discovery made her final landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the completion of her 11 day mission to the International Space Station.  Most of you reading this will have seen her pass over your home as we've all been aware of the fly past times these last 11 days.  I think the most spectacular view was on Monday night when after undocking from the ISS and having a degree of seperation of a few hundred yards you could clearly see Discovery and the ISS as seperate entities as they flew overhead as if joined by some invisible thread.  A memorable sight.

Discovery making her final landing today

Today reminded me of my visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida...here are just a few snaps of that visit

The mock shuttle at Kennedy...it's actually bigger than it looks in this photo!  It has three decks in the cockpit section!

The Shuttles engines, brought into play when the Solid Rocket Boosters are exhausted after take off

The transporter that takes the Shuttle to the pad

A treasured pic...Atlantis on the pad.  She will be the last ever Shuttle mission, due to take off in June.  It was a priviledge to get so close to the pads with a Shuttle loaded ready for take off.

My fellow cohorts with resplendent pink VIP passes on lol  This was my first day in Florida after flying in less than 24hrs earlier.  The reason for the sweatshirt top is that my brother advised me that "it's quite chilly at the moment Ady" - the git

Final approach...

Nailed it!   Straight down the center line.
Some of you have had a go on the Shuttle Landing Simulator App on my I-pad, and crashed and burned.  Well that's how you do it!

part of the Rocket park at Kennedy.....as you can see, still chilly!  eh Ed

As big as the Shuttle is, they don't make em like they used to! 
The Saturn 5 exhibit.  The whole rocket is laid out in sections end to end.  It's a very long hangar!

Well, roll on April and June as we watch the evensong on a marvelous era of space travel.  God speed to Endeavour and Atlantis.