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Aug. 12, 2011 / 1:12 PM

Shuttles prepare for new display homes

The crew of NASA's Space Shuttle "Atlantis" mission, STS 135, Sandra Magnus, Rex Walheim, Doug Hurley and Craig Ferguson pose in front of "Atlantis" as they attend an Employee Appreciatiion function to thank NASA employees and contractors for servicing the shuttle program over the past thirty years at the Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011. Atlantis and her crew flew back home to the Spaceport, ending the 30 year program. Atlantis completed the 135th mission with a pre-dawn landing on Runway 15 at 5:56 am. .UPI/Joe Marino - Bill Cantrell

The crew of NASA's Space Shuttle "Atlantis" mission, STS 135, Sandra Magnus, Rex Walheim, Doug Hurley and Craig Ferguson pose in front of "Atlantis" as they attend an Employee Appreciatiion function to thank NASA employees and contractors for servicing the shuttle program over the past thirty years at the Kennedy Space Center on July 21, 2011. Atlantis and her crew flew back home to the Spaceport, ending the 30 year program. Atlantis completed the 135th mission with a pre-dawn landing on Runway 15 at 5:56 am. .UPI/Joe Marino - Bill Cantrell | License Photo

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Aug. 12 (UPI) -- In a rare sight, two of NASA's space shuttle orbiters were together as their decommissioning continued at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

The retired shuttles Discovery and Endeavour presented a rare photo opportunity Thursday as they passed each other while swapping buildings in the ongoing process of being prepared for their eventual homes in museums, Florida Today reported.

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Discovery was moved from temporary storage in the Vehicle Assembly Building to Orbiter Processing Facility Bay No. 1, while Endeavour made the reverse move, NASA said.

Discovery will be displayed at the National Air & Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, while Endeavour will head to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Atlantis, which will remain at the Kennedy Space Center for display, currently is in Orbiter Processing Facility Bay No. 2.

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