# Just Saw the Space Shuttle Go By! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 17, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037 "2012-04-17T13:53:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/1 "2012-04-17T13:53:04Z")
Space shuttle Discovery just rode in to Dulles airport on the back of a jumbo jet. It went right by my office window. Very, very cool! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/2 "2012-04-17T14:06:48Z")
Mommy, mommy! Whats that?! Honey, now when an airplane and a rocket ship really love each other… ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/3 "2012-04-17T14:25:48Z")
Just watched it make three passes over the national Mall. Had a nice view from an 8th floor picture window. Close enough to see some details. Discovery has flown more missions than any other Shuttle and it’s the one that put the Hubble into orbit. This is her final mission. Somewhere, Engineer Scott is blowing his nose. Allergies, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/4 "2012-04-17T14:30:04Z")
I sawit from the street! Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/5 "2012-04-17T14:39:06Z")
It’s coming in soon for final landing. :: sniff :: Dust in my eyes! ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/6 "2012-04-17T14:55:24Z")
My coworker and I caught it on the Mall. Pretty damned cool. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/7 "2012-04-17T14:59:08Z")
[My station has been airing the event special report since 10am live link here.](http://www.wusa9.com/video/breakingvideo.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/8 "2012-04-17T14:59:32Z")
Hmmnn, it didn’t land, just another fly-by. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/9 "2012-04-17T15:05:48Z")
It’s down safely. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/10 "2012-04-17T16:10:24Z")
Hey fellow DC-area Dopers! I saw it too, it flew right over my office in Manassas, VA (close to Dulles). ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/11 "2012-04-17T16:17:34Z")
This was my view of the first overflight of the Mall. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kZ_R1E3k34c/maxresdefault.jpg "Shuttle Discovery") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ_R1E3k34c) ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/12 "2012-04-17T16:22:44Z")
I’m home today, and it flew right over the house. A fun day to be in the Dulles flight path. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/13 "2012-04-17T16:34:53Z")
Many years ago, I had a summer job for an airline with offices in the Dulles mid-field terminal. I drove by the shuttle Enterprise every day that summer, and once or twice I walked out onto the tarmac during lunch and walked by the Concorde, which turned out to be a lot smaller than I expected. ---
**Author:** ![CCYMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CCYMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCYMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/14 "2012-04-17T16:59:41Z")
Me too! My company’s office is in Herndon, right near Dulles airport. We were all standing on the top deck of a parking garage, and people were on the rooftops of buildings all around us. It went right over the airport and gave us a very clear view. P.S., is it “roofs” or “rooves?” Neither seemed right so I cheated. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/15 "2012-04-17T17:39:28Z")
JEALOUS!!! I had a dental appointment at 10:00 and the shuttle slipped my mind. The dentist said that folks on the 3rd floor of their building saw it, though she didn’t. Bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/16 "2012-04-17T18:08:26Z")
> [@CCYMan](#): > > Me too! > > My company’s office is in Herndon, right near Dulles airport. We were all standing on the top deck of a parking garage, and people were on the rooftops of buildings all around us. It went right over the airport and gave us a very clear view. > > P.S., is it “roofs” or “rooves?” Neither seemed right so I cheated. Same here - I’m off of Sunrise Valley Drive. My wife’s building is off of 606, so she got the better view… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/17 "2012-04-17T18:38:50Z")
I found out too late that a bunch of folks on the 12th floor of my building (in Tysons) were able to see it. Bummer! Several of my friends who work either downtown or near the airport have posted pictures and videos on Facebook. Very cool. 🆒 (Several years ago I caught a glimpse of the Concorde as it flew into Dulles for the last time; I think this would have been cooler.) P.S. **CCYMan** , it’s “roofs.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/18 "2012-04-17T19:29:19Z")
Cool. Endeavor is scheduled to be driven through Los Angeles this fall. I hope I can make it to watch. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/19 "2012-04-17T19:29:56Z")
I saw it, too. I was in the median of the GW Parkway right by National Airport. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@FlyingRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRat)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037/20 "2012-04-18T03:22:07Z")
I saw it too-- flying right over my neighborhood in Centreville, on the final pass! We’re along the southern approach to Dulles and the winds were right. I had no idea what was going on today (I was out of the country until Sunday and have been at home with the Cold of Death since then) but I’m very glad I decided to go out for a coffee at 10:30 this morning. When it finally dawned on me what that weird thing in the sky was, I screamed like the proverbial little girl, pulled into the nearest parking space, and jumped up and down for a while watching it go by. There couldn’t have been a more beautiful day for it, either: not sunny, but the clouds were strikingly beautiful. Godspeed, Discovery. _sniffle_ Seems like my cold is a little worse right now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-saw-the-space-shuttle-go-by/619037.md?page=2)