Photos: Space Shuttle Discovery flies over D.C.

April 17, 2012

The space shuttle Discovery flew from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. Spectators gathered on the National Mall to observe the historic flight.

The space shuttle Discovery is carried by a 747 as it flies over the National Mall this morning, before landing at Dulles International Airport. Zachary Krahmer | Hatchet Staff Photographer

Gary and Shirley Letcher of Ashton, Md. stand and watch Discovery as it is transported. They have witnessed four previous launches in Florida. Zachary Krahmer | Hatchet Staff Photographer

People congregated on the south steps of the U.S. Capitol at about 10 a.m. to watch the historic flight. Discovery circled around the Capitol building three times before landing. Zachary Krahmer | Hatchet Staff Photographer