Photos: Discovery hitches a ride home

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  • Platform

    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.

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Tail cone

    Tail cone

    In preparation for its return flight to Florida, technicians attach a tail cone to Discovery, which helps reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence.

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Shuttle Carrier Aircraft

    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.

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Happy landing

    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.

    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

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Weather prevented the space shuttle Discovery from landing in Florida so it needed a little help to finish its trip.

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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.

Caption by: Bill Detwiler

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