CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Kennedy Space Center crews rolled Endeavour from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the shuttle runway to lift it and set it atop a 747 carrier aircraft on Friday.
The move, which began around 5 a.m., was the last step before Endeavour's planned takeoff Monday morning atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
Endeavor will fly to Los Angeles International Airport over four days. In mid-October, the retired orbiter will roll about 12 more miles through downtown L.A. to its permanent display home at the California Science Center.
The flight will include stops in Houston to Mission Control at Johnson Space Center, Edwards Air Force base, the Golden Gate bridge and down to Los Angeles International Airport.
After takeoff around 7 a.m. Monday, weather permitting, the piggybacked aircraft and spaceship are expected to fly over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, down the Brevard County coast to Patrick Air Force Base, over the Pineda Causeway and back up the Indian River Lagoon, then angle over the KSC Visitor Complex and Shuttle Landing Facility for a final farewell to the Space Coast.