Space Shuttle Discovery's final flight

The US space shuttle Discovery is partially raised in the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center, Florida to be mounted on top of NASA's 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. (AFP)

US space shuttle Discovery sitting atop NASA's 747 shuttle carrier aircraft flies over the Smithsonian Institution castle in Washington,DC as it arrives from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to be displayed at the National Air and Space museum near the US capital. (AFP)

The US space shuttle Discovery is towed into the mate/demate device at Kennedy Space Center, Florida to be mounted on top of NASA's 747 shuttle carrier aircraft (backgound). The 747 with Discovery aboard will be flow to Washington DC April 17 for display at the National Air and Space museum. (AFP)

The US space shuttle Discovery atop NASA's 747 shuttle carrier aircraft as they head north passing over Kennedy Space Center, Florida for the final time. (AFP)

The US space shuttle Discovery sits atop NASA's 747 shuttle carrier aircraft early April 16, 2012 as they are parked on the apron of the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Florida with her last crew (STS-133), from L to R, Alan Drew, Nicole Stott, Michael Barrett, Steve Bowen, Pilot Eric Boe and Commander Steve Lindsey. (AFP)

Space shuttle Discovery mounted atop a 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, flies by the Washington Monument during a flyover of the nation's capital on its final trip to its retirement in Washington, DC. The longest-serving orbiter in the space shuttle fleet was flown from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Washington, DC area to be transferred to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and will be placed on display in the museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. (AFP)

School children on a tour watch as space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, flies over the U.S. Capitol during a flyover of the nation's capital on its final trip to its retirement place in Washington. (AFP)

Space Shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, flies over the US Capitol during a flyover of the nation's capital on its final trip to its retirement place in Washington. (AFP)

US space shuttle Discovery sitting atop NASA's 747 shuttle carrier aircraft flies over the National Mall in Washington,DC as it arrives from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to be displayed at the National Air and Space museum near the US capital. (AFP)

Four-year-old Alex Mendez of Sterling, VA, wears a space shuttle costume while he waits with thousands of others for the arrival of the space shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Hundreds of people arrived early in the morning to watch the arrival of the shuttle from the parking lot of the center. The oldest and most traveled vehicle in NASA's space shuttle program, Discovery will be placed on permanent display at the museum. (AFP)

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