NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carried Space Shuttle Endeavour over California on Sept. 21, 2012, during the orbiter’s final ferry flight. NASA is revisiting the photographs as Endeavour returns to public display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

The agency’s new feature looks back at the photographers and videographers who documented the flight. Images captured Endeavour and its 747 over landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Griffith Park and Disneyland.

A 747 adapted for a special job

NASA used two modified Boeing 747 jetliners as Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The aircraft transported orbiters between landing sites and launch or processing locations when the shuttles could not travel through the atmosphere under their own power. Endeavour’s California journey was the final ferry flight for the orbiter and brought it to the museum where it would become a public exhibit.

The mission required coordination among NASA, the California Science Center, the Federal Aviation Administration, Los Angeles International Airport and other organizations. NASA’s photographers planned landmark passes and used chase aircraft to capture images and video of the 747 and shuttle combination.

Endeavour’s last flight

Endeavour completed 25 space shuttle missions and helped begin assembly of the International Space Station by delivering its first components to orbit. After the California flyover, the orbiter was separated from the 747 and transported by road to the California Science Center.

The 747 and shuttle created an unusual sight: an aircraft modified to carry another aircraft-like spacecraft, moving slowly above familiar California landmarks. NASA’s new photo retrospective preserves the planning and public response behind a flight that served as the final chapter of Endeavour’s time in the air.

Source

Based on NASA Armstrong’s feature on Endeavour’s final California tour and NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft recordation page. Photo: NASA/Carla Thomas.