The final leg of space shuttle Endeavour’s cross-country trek began at noon EST today when space shuttle Endeavour took off from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on the back of a modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. It is scheduled to arrive at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at about 2:40 p.m. today.

Depending on the weather on Florida’s Atlantic coast at arrival, pilots of the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft could fly over Cocoa Beach, Fla., during the return. The pilots will make that decision when they near the area.

The flight will land at the Shuttle Landing Facility on runway 33, which means it will land from the southern end of the runway.


More...