Photos: Discovery hitches a ride home
Weather prevented the space shuttle Discovery from landing in Florida so it needed a little help to finish its trip.
1 of 4 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET
Platform
After landing at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California, the space shuttle Discovery receives post-flight processing inside the Mate-Demate Device. The giant platform is used to help prepare the shuttle for its flight back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
2 of 4 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET
Tail cone
In preparation for its return flight to Florida, technicians attach a tail cone to Discovery, which helps reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence.
3 of 4 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
The specially modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft drives under the shuttle and is locked in for its flight back to Kennedy Space Center.
4 of 4 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET
Happy landing
Its cargo intact, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft landed at Kennedy Space Center at the end of its flight from California, which included a short layover at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
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