STS029-S-042 (13 March 1989) --- Flight Directors Ronald D. Dittemore, left and Lee Briscoe monitor solid rocket booster separation activity on monitors at their consoles in the flight control room of the Johnson Space Center's mission control center.

Flight directors Robert E. Castle, Jr (left) and Ronald D. Dittemore monitor console displays during STS-34 mission. Castle and Dittemore will oversee flight activities from their stations in JSC's Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 flight control room (FCR). In the background are the FCR large screens which display flight data.

Flight controllers in JSC's Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 flight control room (FCR) listen to a presentation by STS-26 crewmembers on the fourth day of Discovery's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103's, orbital mission. Instrumentation and Communications Officers (INCOs) Harold Black (left foreground) and John F. Muratore and other controllers view a television (TV) transmission of the crew on a screen in front of the FCR as each member relates some inner feelings while paying tribute to the 51L Challenger crew.

During STS-34, flight directors Robert E. Castle, Jr (left) and Ronald D. Dittemore review checklists and monitor displays at their console in JSC's Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 flight control room (FCR).

STS26-S-103 (2 October 1988) --- A wide-angle view of flight controllers in the Johnson Space Center's mission control center as they listen to a presentation by the five members of the STS-26 crew on the fourth day of Discovery's orbital mission. Flight Director James M. (Milt) Heflin (standing at center), astronaut G. David Low (standing at right), a spacecraft communicator, and other controllers view a television image of the crew on a screen in the front of the flight control room as each member relates some inner feelings while paying tribute to the Challenger crew.

STS026-S-101 (2 Oct 1988) --- Flight controllers in the Johnson Space Center?s mission control center listen to a presentation by the five members of the STS 26 crew on the fourth day of Discovery?s orbital mission. Flight Directors Charles W. Shaw and James M. (Milt) Heflin (in the foreground) and other controllers view a television image of Earth on a screen in the front of the flight control room while each member relates some inner feelings while paying tribute to the Challenger crew.

S67-50590 (1867) --- Astronaut Frank Borman, assigned duty as commander of the Apollo 8 mission, participates in a training exercise in the Apollo Mission simulator in the Mission Simulation and training Facility, Building 5, at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. Photo credit: NASA

S67-50585 (1967) --- This is an intentional double exposure showing the Apollo Mission Simulator in the Mission Simulation and Training Facility, Building 5 at the Manned Spacecraft Center. In the exterior view astronauts William A. Anders, Michael Collins, and Frank Borman (reading from top of stairs) are about to enter the simulator. The interior view shows the three astronauts in the simulator. They are (left to right) Borman, Collins, and Anders. Photo credit: NASA

AS13-59-8484 (April 1970) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., commander, is pictured at his position in the Lunar Module (LM). The Apollo 13 crew of astronauts Lovell; John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot; and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, relied on the LM as a "lifeboat". The dependence on the LM was caused by an apparent explosion of oxygen tank number two in the Service Module (SM). The LM was jettisoned just prior to Earth re-entry by the Command Module (CM).

JSC Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 flight control room (FCR) personnel monitor STS-26 post landing activities and ceremonies at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) via their monitors. Displayed on front screens are approach and landing diagrams, data, the space shuttle program insignia, the STS-26 mission insignia, the Mission Operations Directorate insignia, and the STS-26 crew standing in front of Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103.

AS11-36-5389 (July 1969) --- An interior view of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module showing some of the displays and controls. Mounted in the Lunar Module window is a 16mm data acquisition camera which has a variable frame speed of 1, 6, 12 and 24 frames per second. Photo credit: NASA

As STS-30 ends its mission with the landing of Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), California, flight controllers monitor screens at their consoles in JSC Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30. In the foreground is the Maintenance, Mechanical Arm, and Crew Systems Engineer (MMACS) console with R. Kevin McCluney studying data readouts. On the front visual displays are the tracking map and a tail view of OV-104 as it comes to a stop on EAFB concrete runway 22.

STS039-09-036 (28 April-6 May 1991) --- Astronaut Charles L. (Lacy) Veach monitors experiment data on the aft flight deck of the Earth-orbiting Discovery. The photograph was taken with a 35mm camera. Veach and six other NASA astronauts spent over eight days in space busily collecting data for this mission, dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Instrumentation and Communications Officer (INCO) John F. Muratore monitors conventional workstation displays during an STS-26 simulation in JSC Mission Control Center (MCC) Bldg 30 Flight Control Room (FCR). Next to Muratore an operator views the real time data system (RTDS), an expert system. During the STS-29 mission two conventional monochrome console display units will be removed and replaced with RTDS displays. View is for the STS-29 press kit from Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) RTDS.

STS009-128-858 (28 Nov-8 Dec 1983) --- Astronaut John W. Young takes notes in the commander?s station on the flight deck of the Columbia. The cathode ray tube (CRT) among the forward panels displays the orbiter?s position in relation to the Earth on its monitor. Astronaut Brewster H. Shaw Jr., pilot, took this photograph.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is at the left of the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The center's Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and the mobile launcher built for the Space Launch System are also visible in the background. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to the Mate-Demate Device for at fit-check Oct. 19, 1978. The mock-up, constructed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., possessed the general dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle. It was shipped to Kennedy by barge and then used to fit-check the work platforms of the Mate-Demate Device, orbiter processing facilities and Vehicle Assembly Building, as well as support ground crew training. It also was used to rehearse post-landing procedures at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. After being on display at the 'Great Space Shuttle Exposition' in Tokyo from June 1983 to August 1984, the mock-up returned to Marshall and now is on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near Huntsville. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to the Mate-Demate Device for at fit-check Oct. 19, 1978. The mock-up, constructed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., possessed the general dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle. It was shipped to Kennedy by barge and then used to fit-check the work platforms of the Mate-Demate Device, orbiter processing facilities and Vehicle Assembly Building, as well as support ground crew training. It also was used to rehearse post-landing procedures at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. After being on display at the 'Great Space Shuttle Exposition' in Tokyo from June 1983 to August 1984, the mock-up returned to Marshall and now is on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near Huntsville. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to the Mate-Demate Device for at fit-check Oct. 19, 1978. The mock-up, constructed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., possessed the general dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle. It was shipped to Kennedy by barge and then used to fit-check the work platforms of the Mate-Demate Device, orbiter processing facilities and Vehicle Assembly Building, as well as support ground crew training. It also was used to rehearse post-landing procedures at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. After being on display at the 'Great Space Shuttle Exposition' in Tokyo from June 1983 to August 1984, the mock-up returned to Marshall and now is on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near Huntsville. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to the Mate-Demate Device for at fit-check Oct. 19, 1978. The mock-up, constructed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., possessed the general dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle. It was shipped to Kennedy by barge and then used to fit-check the work platforms of the Mate-Demate Device, orbiter processing facilities and Vehicle Assembly Building, as well as support ground crew training. It also was used to rehearse post-landing procedures at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. After being on display at the 'Great Space Shuttle Exposition' in Tokyo from June 1983 to August 1984, the mock-up returned to Marshall and now is on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near Huntsville. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to the Mate-Demate Device for at fit-check Oct. 19, 1978. The mock-up, constructed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., possessed the general dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle. It was shipped to Kennedy by barge and then used to fit-check the work platforms of the Mate-Demate Device, orbiter processing facilities and Vehicle Assembly Building, as well as support ground crew training. It also was used to rehearse post-landing procedures at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. After being on display at the 'Great Space Shuttle Exposition' in Tokyo from June 1983 to August 1984, the mock-up returned to Marshall and now is on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near Huntsville. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed Pathfinder, is attached to the Mate-Demate Device for at fit-check Oct. 19, 1978. The mock-up, constructed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., possessed the general dimensions, weight and balance of a real space shuttle. It was shipped to Kennedy by barge and then used to fit-check the work platforms of the Mate-Demate Device, orbiter processing facilities and Vehicle Assembly Building, as well as support ground crew training. It also was used to rehearse post-landing procedures at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. After being on display at the 'Great Space Shuttle Exposition' in Tokyo from June 1983 to August 1984, the mock-up returned to Marshall and now is on permanent display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center near Huntsville. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are under way to lift space shuttle Endeavour into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician monitors space shuttle Endeavour as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls toward space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, moves into position beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians retract the landing gear on space shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle is being lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians prepare to retract the landing gear on space shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle is being lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The aircraft, or SCA, can be seen in the background at left. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is positioned beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians manually close the doors on space shuttle Endeavour's nose gear as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician secures the doors on space shuttle Endeavour's nose gear as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians retract the landing gear on space shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle is being lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician attaches space shuttle Endeavour to the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour hovers above the ground as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician monitors space shuttle Endeavour as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician monitors space shuttle Endeavour as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour hovers above the ground as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician monitors space shuttle Endeavour as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The aircraft, or SCA, can be seen in the background behind Endeavour. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls toward space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA is in the background behind Endeavour. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is hoisted above the ground by the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Its cockpit windows have been covered to protect them during the shuttle's upcoming ferry flight. The shuttle will be positioned and connected atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is hoisted above the ground by the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians manually close the doors on space shuttle Endeavour's nose gear as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, moves into position beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, moves into position beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians retract the landing gear on space shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle is being lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls toward space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, rolls beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The aircraft, or SCA, can be seen in the background behind Endeavour. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, moves into position beneath space shuttle Endeavour, suspended in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the support of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician prepares to attach space shuttle Endeavour to the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA can be seen on the pavement in the background. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – United Space Alliance technicians monitor space shuttle Endeavour as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The camera captures space shuttle Endeavour's underbelly as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician monitors space shuttle Endeavour as it is lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour appears to hover above NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, positioned beneath it in the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be lowered and connected to the top of the SCA with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Preparations are under way to lift space shuttle Endeavour into the mate-demate device as the sun rises over the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The shuttle will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its upcoming ferry flight. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A United Space Alliance technician retracts the landing gear on space shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle is being lifted into the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour will be positioned and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the aid of the device. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

Spectators look to the sky with cameras and other devices as the space shuttle Endeavour flies over prior to landing Friday, Sept. 21, 2012, at Los Angeles International Airport. Endeavour, built as a replacement for space shuttle Challenger, completed 25 missions, spent 299 days in orbit, and orbited Earth 4,671 times while traveling 122,883,151 miles. Beginning Oct. 30, the shuttle will be on display in the California Science center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion, embarking on its new mission to commemorate past achievements in space and educate and inspire future generations of explorers.Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, has arrived at the Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, after a 5-hour flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California. To the right is the Mate/Demate device that will be used to lift and attach Discovery atop the SCA. During the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is seen on the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The center's Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, and the mobile launcher built for the Space Launch System are also visible in the background. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility after the shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour was towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, where the shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/ Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers inspect an attachment point before it is connected to space shuttle Endeavour so the shuttle can be raised for connection to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. The shuttle is inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The nose landing gear of space shuttle Endeavour is lifted during operations to raise the shuttle for securing to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA. The shuttle is inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Endeavour rolls past Orbiter Processing Facilty-1 on its way from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the nearby Shuttle Landing Facility. The spacecraft will be lifted in the gantry-like Mate-Demate Device and placed atop NASA's modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the final ferry flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Endeavour will be placed on permanent public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/ Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers watch the arrival of space shuttle Endeavour at the Shuttle Landing Facility after the shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour was towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, where the shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is at the lower edge of the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour, secured atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, backs away from the mate-demate device at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA, a modified 747 jetliner, will fly Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display at the California Science Center. This is the final ferry flight scheduled in the Space Shuttle Program era. For more information on the shuttles' transition and retirement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers watch as space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers escort space shuttle Endeavour as it is towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers watch as space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers watch the arrival of space shuttle Endeavour at the Shuttle Landing Facility after the shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Endeavour was towed to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, where the shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD will be used to lift and connect the shuttle to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. The shuttle was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour is towed into the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being backed out of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Dmitri Gerondidakis

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on its way to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on its way to the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The MDD is located at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy. The shuttle will be lifted and connected to the top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SCA, a modified 747 jetliner. The shuttle has been fitted with an aerodynamic tailcone for its flight aboard the SCA to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

iss066e095422 (Dec. 21, 2021) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 66 Flight Engineer Raja Chari displays the half-opened Combustion Integrated Rack aboard the International Space Station's U.S. Destiny laboratory module. The research device includes an optics bench, combustion chamber, fuel and oxidizer control, and five different cameras for performing combustion investigations safely in microgravity.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Space shuttle Endeavour is seen inside the Mate-Demate Device, or MDD, at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is at the lower edge of the ramp. The SCA will carry Endeavour to Los Angeles where it will be placed on public display. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett