Fairfax County Welcomes Space Shuttle Discovery

Discovery, the longest-serving orbiter in the space shuttle fleet, has arrived in Fairfax County! The spacecraft arrived on the back of a 747 airplane from NASA's Kennedy Center in Florida on April 17 to enthusiastic crowds all over the Capital Region, who waited anxiously to get a glimpse of the famed orbiter. The shuttle was welcomed to its brand new home on April 19 to Fairfax County's Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 

Discovery has been the icon for American spaceflight for a generation and has flown every type of mission in its nearly 30-year long career. The aircraft was retired by NASA last year after having spent a total of 365 days in space, completing 39 missions and carrying a record number of 252 crewmembers on board during its lifetime.

Discovery is now on display in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar of the Udvar-Hazy Center, where it is surrounded by a myriad of other national treasures.

"Discovery join[s] the ranks of treasures such as the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Mercury Friendship 7 capsule and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia," said Valerie Neal, space shuttle program curator in the museum's Division of Space History.  "Discovery represents innovation, ingenuity and the effort to make spaceflight a regular activity in the life of the nation."

Discovery has achieved a significant number of history-making moments, including having the first female pilot (Eileen Collins), the first African American commander (Frederick Gregory), and having the oldest crewmember onboard to space (John Glenn at 77). Discovery also was twice chosen as the Return-to-Flight shuttle following the Challenger and Columbia tragedies.

Hotel and Special Event Packages  

Some Fairfax County hotels and attractions have created some special packages for your trip to the area to see Discovery up close and personal. See below for details and links.  

Hyatt Place Dulles Airport South
Chantilly, VA - Air and Space Museum Package

Book now and receive two IMAX theater tickets at Steven Udvar Hazy Airbus Imax Theater & complimentary transportation to museum, which is only 5 miles away.
04/01/12 - 12/31/12
See Special

Crowne Plaza Dulles
Herndon, VA - Air and Space Package

This Air and Space museum hotel package offered by the Crowne Plaza includes hotel shuttle to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, two tickets to the IMAX theater and breakfast buffet for two. Our Cro...
03/23/12 - 12/31/12
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Courtyard by Marriott Dulles Airport
Chantilly, VA - Discovery Arrival Discount

Stay between April 1and April 30 (Thursday to Sunday) and receive $10 off the weekend rate ( Discovery Arrival Discount ), and a free shuttle to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Stev...
04/01/12 - 04/30/12
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Hampton Inn Dulles South
Chantilly, VA - Family Getaway Space Adventure Package

The Hampton Inn & Suites Dulles' Family Getaway Package includes two tickets to the IMAX theater at the Udvar-Hazy Center at the National Air and Space Museum in Dulles, Virginia. The Udvar-Hazy C...
10/06/11 - 12/31/12
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Hyatt Dulles
Herndon, VA - Welcome Discovery!

Welcome Space Shuttle Discovery to Fairfax County! Book now to receive: Airport View Room, Full Breakfast for up to 4 guests in each room, Transportation to and from the Smithsonian National Air and S...
04/01/12 - 12/31/12
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Hilton Springfield
Springfield VA - Space Shuttle Package

Stay at the Hilton Springfield and enjoy breakfast for two in Houlihan's Restaurant, free parking and Internet.
04/01/12 - 12/31/12
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Frying Pan Farm Park
Herndon, VA - Welcome Discovery!

Discover Local Farm History - Come visit Frying Pan Farm Park, one of the last working farms in Fairfax County and only minutes from Dulles Airport and the National Air and Space Museum Steven F.  Udvar-Hazy Center. Spring is the best time to discovery all the new farm babies including piglets, lambs, and calves. Admission to the park is free and all wagon rides will be 30% off their regular price. Event price $2, regular Price $3.
04/28/12-04/29/12
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For more great videos about the shuttle Discovery, click here.

Fun Facts about Discovery:

• Discovery carried astronaut John Glenn back into space, giving him the record of the oldest man in space (77).

• Discovery was the shuttle that launched the Hubble Space Telescope and the Ulysses probe (designed to study the sun).

• Discovery has made more trips to space than any other craft in history.

• Discovery has traveled almost 150 million miles, which equals roughly 300 round trips to the moon.

• Discovery is a record-breaker! It has carried more crewmembers than any other space vehicle, including the first woman to pilot a spacecraft, the oldest person to fly in space, the first African-American to perform a spacewalk, the first cosmonaut to fly on a spacecraft and the first sitting member of Congress to fly into space!

• Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and Atlantis.

• Discovery has twice been chosen as the Return-to-Flight spacecraft after the tragedies of Challenger and Columbia.

• The longest shuttle mission of the Discovery was 15 days, 2 hours, 47 minutes and 11 seconds - in 2010.

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