And Touched The Fascia Of God

Via Geoff Chester at the U.S. Naval Observatory, a view of STS Discovery during its final flight on Tuesday, which took it past Washington National Cathedral.

"Nixon's Baby"?

The space shuttle.

Space Clipper...

...is what a majority of Nixon aides polled wanted to call NASA's new adventure instead of "space shuttle," which one said connoted "second class travel."

Houston Has A Problem

Houstonians are upset at being left out when space shuttles were designated for display at museums in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. and at the Kennedy Space Center. They seem especially angry about New York, which gets 45 million tourists a year.

NASA picked museums where the largest number of taxpayers will find it most convenient to view their property. It would be more logical for Houston to ask why the agency played favorites between its two primary mission-related installations by sending a shuttle to Florida. Since it would've been unfair to the American people if both spots had won, I'd like to learn more about the politics of that particular coin toss.

Exciting Discovery

Discovery on approach to its final landing, at the Kennedy Space Center. More photos by Red Huber of the Orlando Sentinel, via the LA Times, here.

Glad He Got A Window Seat

A commercial airline passenger captures Thursday's Discovery launch.

Slipping The Surly Bonds Once More

Discovery's 39th and last launch today

I Vote For Perris In The Springtime

A good line of malarkey and $28.8 million, and you could get a space shuttle.

Still An Amazing Sight

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Discovery's landing this afternoon at Edwards Air Force Base. With only six shuttle missions remaining, this could be the last California landing.

May STS-400 Never Fly

Why are Atlantic and Endeavour on side-by-side launch pads? Here's why.

Cooler Than Science Fiction

The International Space Station, photographed from the space shuttle Discovery, March 2009

Hat tip to Universe Today

A Great Endeavour

A space shuttle landing? Still nothing like it.