VIRGINIA: FINDING THE DISCOVERY (OV-103) SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER

VIRGINIA AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

By Henry Libo-on 

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The Space Shuttle Discovery is now on display in this Museum in Virginia. 

TP's Henry Libo-on is shown here with the Discovery. 

Photo below shows the rear of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Here's a brief history of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Source: en.wikipedia.org    (Thanks wikipedia.)

Space Shuttle Discovery launched the Hubble Space Telescope and conducted the second and third Hubble service missions. It also launched the Ulysses probe and three TDRS satellites. Twice Discovery was chosen as the "Return To Flight" Orbiter, first in 1988 after the loss of Challenger in 1986, and then again for the twin "Return To Flight" missions in July 2005 and July 2006 after the Columbia disaster in 2003. Project Mercury astronaut John Glenn, who was 77 at the time, flew with Discovery on STS-95 in 1998, making him the oldest person to go into space at that time in history.^[9]

Had plans to launch United States Department of Defense payloads from Vandenberg Air Force Base gone ahead, Discovery would have become the dedicated US Air Force shuttle.^[10] Its first West Coast mission, STS-62-A, was scheduled for 1986, but canceled in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.

Discovery was retired after completing its final mission, STS-133 on March 9, 2011. The spacecraft is now on display in Virginia at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.^[11]

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This tour of the space hangar was done a day after our tour of Washington, D. C. Here are the pictures I took of this Museum cum Space Hangar. 

The entrance to the Smithsonian Institution 

National Air and Space Museum 

Steven F. Udyar-Hazy Center and 

James S. McDonnell Space Hangar 

 Our group who toured this Museum was composed of my daughter's family and our friend's family.  

Here at Virginia, the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum, hundreds of different types of aircraft are on display.  These included the Space Shuttle Discovery, the Lockheed SR-71 Reconnaissance aircraft, Concorde, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber otherwise known as Enola Gay and other types of helicopters, and smaller airplanes, among others.  

Boeing 307 Stratoliner - "Clipper Flying Cloud"

Facts from - airandspace.si.edu - 

First flown in late 1938, the Boeing 307 was the first airliner with a pressurized fuselage. It could carry 33 passengers in great comfort and cruise at 6,096 meters (20,000 feet), while maintaining a cabin pressure of 2,438 meters (8,000 feet). This enabled the Stratoliner to fly above most bad weather, thereby providing a faster and smoother ride.

The Stratoliner incorporated the wings, tail, and engines of the Boeing B-17C bomber. The wide fuselage was fitted with sleeper berths and reclining seats. Ten Stratoliners were built. The prototype was lost in an accident, but five were delivered to TWA and three were purchased by Pan American Airways. TWA owner Howard Hughes purchased a heavily modified version for his personal use. The airplane displayed here was flown by Pan American as the Clipper Flying Cloud. Boeing restored it in 2001.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force.[1] It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed and its Skunk Works division. (bing.com and Wikipedia).

Air France's Concorde.

What www.heritageconcored.com says:

This Concorde F-BVFA flew the first commercial passenger flight for Air France in 1976. Packed with dignitaries, Air France flight AF085 piloted by Captain Pierre Chanoine flew to Dakar then Rio. It also made a round-the-world trip in 1998 in 41 hours, 27 minutes. This is now, finally, on display at James S. McDonnel Hangar here in Virginia, this Blog. 

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 Can you remember the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the height of World War II? 

 Enola Gay is the name of the American B-29 bomber, piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets, Jr., that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945.  The plane was named after the mother of the pilot, Enola Gay Tibbets. (bing.com)

Pan Am is one of the oldest airline companies in the U.S.

Space Shuttle Discovery.

 Discovery (OV-103) was NASA's third space shuttle orbiter to join the fleet, arriving for the first time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 1983.  After checkout and processing, it was launched on August 30, 1984, for its first mission, 41-D, to deploy three communications satellites. (bing.com)

Top, photo of Spacelab Computer used by the Astronauts in the Shuttle missions STS-50 in 1992 and STS-73 in 1995. 

Hasselblad Camera was used by the Apollo Astronauts during their lunar landing, below.

Wow, Nikon Fish-Eye Lens and Kodak Digital Camera. 

Launch Capsule of Astronauts.

Model of Spaceship in the movie "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind". 

"Oi, the pilot is drunk!" ......haha.

Please use your GPS to locate the Hangar.  Here is the address:

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, Virginia 20151
Phone: 703-572-4118

Driving Directions (Source:  www.airandspace.si.edu)

From Washington, DC, and points south: Take I-66 West to Route 28 North (Exit 53B): Travel on Route 28 North for 5.3 miles. Exit at Air and Space Museum Parkway and follow the signs to the Udvar-Hazy Center.

From Washington, DC, and points north: Take I-495 West (Capital Beltway) to the Dulles Toll Road West (Route 267). Exit the toll road at Route 28 South (Exit 9A) and travel south 3.5 miles. Exit at Air and Space Museum Parkway and follow the signs to the Udvar-Hazy Center.

From points west: Take I-66, Route 29, or Route 50 East to Route 28 North.

Please note, online mapping services may direct you to enter the Udvar-Hazy Center from Route 50. This is not a public entrance. You must enter from Route 28. 

Parking

Parking is available for $15 before 4:00 pm.

Keep in mind lines to enter the Museum parking lot tend to be longest during peak season (March-August), holidays, weekends, and on special event days. Please allow extra time for entry and parking.

Free Parking is Available For:
All cars arriving after 4:00 pm.
All buses (the parking lot accommodates 28 buses)

Bag Storage

The Udvar-Hazy Center has lockers in two sizes. The smaller lockers accommodate small bags (such as backpacks) and coats; the larger lockers are 12" wide, 15" deep, and 29" tall, and accommodate most carry-on size bags. If you have baggage that does not fit in the lockers provided, you will be asked to carry your bags with you.

Public Transportation

Depending on your point of departure, you may need to use a combination of public transportation options to reach the Udvar-Hazy Center. Please consult transportation operators for the latest routes, schedules, and fares.

From the Museum in DC:

• Exit Museum at Independence Ave.
• Cross intersection; turn right onto Maryland Ave. and walk one block to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station.
• Take Metro Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East station. Fares paid with metrorail passes or SmarTrip cards.
• Transfer to Fairfax Connector Bus No. 983. Bus fares paid with SmarTrip card or cash. Bus drivers do not carry change.
• Exit bus at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center stop.

The trip takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

From Washington Dulles International Airport to the Udvar-Hazy Center in VA:

From Ground Transportation, take Fairfax Connector No. 983 one stop to Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Bus fares paid with SmarTrip card or cash. Bus drivers do not carry change.

From Northern Virginia: 

Fairfax Connector provides connecting bus service between Washington Dulles International Airport, Reston Town Center Transit station, Wiehle-Reston East Metro station, Herdon-Monroe Park and Ride, and the Udvar-Hazy Center. Bus fares paid with SmarTrip card or cash. Bus drivers do not carry change. Schedules, fares, and information are available on the Fairfax Connector No. 983 website.

Washington Flyer also provides private bus service between select Metrorail stations and Washington Dulles International Airport.

From Major Airports

Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI)
Distance: 61.4 miles
Public Transportation: No direct service. Connecting options include Amtrak/Marc Rail (BWI station), Metrobus, taxi, and shuttle services.
Airport Website: BWI Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Distance: 2.5 miles
Public Transportation: From Ground Transportation, take Fairfax Connector No. 983 one stop to Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Bus fares paid with SmarTrip card or cash. Bus drivers do not carry change.
Taxi: Rate average $14 to $15 (subject to change without notice; please call taxi service for latest rates)
Airport Website: Washington Area Airports

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
Distance: 33 miles
Public Transportation: Take Metro Blue Line to Rosslyn and transfer to the Metro Silver Line. Take the Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East station. Fares paid with Metrorail passes or SmarTrip cards. Transfer to Fairfax Connector Bus No. 983. Exit bus at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center stop. Bus fares paid by SmarTrip card or cash. Bus drivers do not carry change.
Airport Website: Washington Area Airports

Flying to the Udvar-Hazy Center

Welcome Pilots!
Fly your own plane into Washington Dulles International Airport, Leesburg Executive Airport, or other nearby fields. All are just minutes away from the Udvar-Hazy Center and provide a full complement of FBOs and car rental services.

Complete flight planning information is available from the Virginia Department of Aviation.

Source of Driving Directions - www.airandspace.si.edu  

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All photos by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre.

May 21, 2018.  New Jersey.
Updated August 18, 2019. 
Updated on March 8, 2020. 

Reviewed on July 10, 2022.

Reviewed on April 16, 2023.