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NASA has cleared the way for Endeavour to leave Florida tomorrow morning — pending one final weather briefing — for a journey that includes a Houston flyover.
NASA isn’t providing exact times, but NASA’s Kelly Humphries says it’s likely to be after nine tomorrow morning.
“We’ll have to watch the weather carefully, but right now we’re expecting the shuttle and its shuttle carrier aircraft to enter Houston airspace somewhere between 9 and 10:30 a.m. Central time on Wednesday. We’re expecting it to touch down somewhere around 10:45 a.m. Central time at Ellington Field.”
Endeavour is slated to fly about 1,500 feet above George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston Hobby, Reliant Stadium, the San Jacinto Monument, the Fred Hartman Bridge and the Johnson Space Center, before landing at Ellington Field. Humphries says the public is then invited to see the shuttle at Ellington.
“There will be public viewing available within about 100 feet of the space shuttle starting about 30 minutes after it’s parked and safe by ground personnel, and that will last all the way until about 9 p.m. Wednesday evening.”
After Houston, the retiring shuttle continues its journey to the Los Angeles area, with just a couple more stops.
“We’re expecting a refueling stop out at Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso and then it’s going on to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California, and after that it’ll be moved over to L.A.”
NASA is providing updates on Endeavour’s cross-country flight on Twitter at #SpotTheShuttle and #OV105. The shuttle will be on permanent display at an L.A.-area museum.
KUHF is running a live blog , following Endeavour’s stop-off in Houston. Send us your comments, photos and video directly or via emai at 60485@scribblelive.com.