Endeavour’s Ferry Flight Postponed Due To Bad Weather

Due to unfavourable weather forecast, the Sept 17 ferry flight of Endeavour space shuttle atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) has been postponed to Sept 18.

This delay was made due to inclement weather that they predict along the flight path between Houston and NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It is from here that the flight will originate. This decision was made by the NASA managers in consultation with the California Science Center.

The ownership of Endeavour was transferred to California Science Center on Oct 11, 2011 by NASA.

SCA is expected to make low level flyover of various areas of the Space Coast, which includes Kennedy, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick air Force Base.

The aircraft will fly west and conduct low flyovers of NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

According to schedule it is estimated that Sept. 19 the aircraft will depart Houston, and Sept. 20 the SCA and the Endeavour will take off from Dryden and perform low level flyover of northern California.

On reaching Los Angeles International airport, endeavour will be removed from SCA and will spend a few weeks at the United Airlines hangar undergoing preparations for transport and display.

According to The Tribune, "Endeavour is the second of NASA's three retired shuttles to head to a museum. Discovery landed at the Smithsonian Institution's display hangar in Virginia last spring. Atlantis will remain at Kennedy."