NASA's Space Shuttle "Discovery" departs the Kennedy Space Center for the Smithsonian Museum

As a final salute to the men and women who served in NASA's Shuttle Program for the past 30 years, the orbiter "Discovery" and the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft perform a low pass over the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 17, 2012. The orbiter and the shuttle carrier aircraft departed at 7:15 AM and will fly northward to Washington DC. After flying past the monuments at the US Capital, Discovery will be flown to Dulles Airport where it will be placed on permanent display at the Smithsonian Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. .UPI/Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell