The Space Shuttle Endeavour departed NASA’s Dryden Flight Research
Center at Edwards Air Force Base this morning atop one of NASA’s
modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on the first leg of its
ferry flight to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The piggyback shuttle – 747 combination lifted off the main runway at
Edwards at 6:13 a.m. Pacific time and touched down at Altus Air Force
Base, Okla., for refueling slightly over three hours later. Ferry
flight managers planned to continue on to Little Rock Air Force Base,
Ark., where the Endeavour and its carrier aircraft are expected to
remain overnight. The 747-shuttle combination would then continue on
to Kennedy on Wednesday, May 9, arriving at mid-day. The
cross-country shuttle ferry flights are heavily dependent upon
weather conditions en route, however, and could be delayed or
re-routed if conditions deteriorate.
Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base last Tuesday morning to
conclude mission STS-100 to the International Space Station after
strong crosswinds, cloudiness and rain prevented landing at the
primary landing site in Florida. Technicians at NASA Dryden completed
post-flight processing and mating of Endeavour to the modified 747
carrier aircraft late Monday.
