AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Where to Watch Discovery’s Flyover

The best spots to see space shuttle Discovery’s descent to Dulles Airport

April 12, 2012

Look up Tuesday morning and you might see this. Image courtesy of the Air and Space Museum

On Tuesday morning, space shuttle Discovery will touch down at the Udvar-Hazy Center. But first, it’s going to take a little joyride over the District. This morning, the Air and Space Museum released the best spots to scope out the flyover. Get there between 10 and 11 a.m.—and don’t forget to tweet your money shot of the space shuttle with the hashtag #SpottheShuttle. You can head up to the Udvar-Hazy Center on Thursday, April 19 for a ceremony to welcome Discovery with all the pomp and circumstance it deserves after its 27 years of space flight.

District of Columbia

The National Mall, including Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the east end
Hains Point at East Potomac Park, south of the Jefferson Memorial and the 14th Street Bridge
The Southwest Waterfront Park

Virginia

Long Bridge Park, located at 475 Long Bridge Dr. in Arlington
Old Town Alexandria waterfront
Gravelly Point, just off the George Washington Parkway, near National Airport

In Maryland

National Harbor, just off the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George’s County, Md. Follow Beltway exits

For a close-up view as the carrier approaches Dulles Airport, the museum suggests shuttle spotters gather at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center parking lot. The lot will open at 8 a.m.; there is a $15 parking charge. McDonald’s will be open for breakfast, pastries and coffee; people may also bring their own breakfast.