For almost 5 years, Rob worked on the thermal protection system for the nose and wing-leading edge of the space shuttle. So, these hunks of metal have been a big part of our lives. During missions, Rob would often have to go into work at crazy hours, like 10 PM or 2 AM in order to analyze imagery sent back from space.
While the space shuttle program had already been scheduled to end in 2011, the next program was supposed to be project constellation with Ares launch vehicles and the orion spacecraft which was cancelled by the current administration and Rob ultimately lost his job. So, I also associate this program with some personal sadness and turmoil too.
A few months ago, while Rob & I were still living in Houston, the announcements were made as to where these orbiter vehicles would find their new homes to be on display. Atlantis would go to Florida, Discovery would go to DC, and Endeavor would go to California. A lot of people forget about JSC. When Rob tells people he used to work on the shuttle, their first question is almost always "oh, so you were in florida?" Nope. While the shuttles launch out of cape canaveral (which we came ever so close to seeing once) JSC is actually responsible for all shuttle operations.
Anyways, Houston was robbed. Robbed, I tell ya! However, the good news for us is, we now live in (near) a city that got a shuttle! And yesterday Discovery made its final flight from FL to its new home in DC. At about 1020AM, a lot of the people in my office buidling gathered outside on the roof & watched it circle the sky over Arlington & DC. It was spectacular! It did a couple of loops so that people all over could see. Then it was taken to the Hazy complex (an annex of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum) over near Dulles airport.
While, I've seen much better pictures than the ones that I took, these were the pictures that I took with my camera, over MY building! :)
Welcome home Discovery!
