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

NASA's space shuttle "Discovery" and its Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft fly toward sunrise after departing the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 17, 2012. The orbiter and the aircraft departed at 7:00 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