Space Shuttle Discovery: The Final Journey

01. The space shuttle Discovery moves to launch pad 39A from the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, January 31, 2011. REUTERS/Scott Audette

March 9th 2011 saw the end of an era. The Space Shuttle Discovery landed for the last time after a 13-day space mission to the International Space Station. Discovery served NASA for 27 years, flew 39 missions, spent exactly one year (365 days) in space and orbited the earth 5,830 times. Let’s hope she finds a good resting place.

02. The space shuttle Discovery moves to launch pad 39A from the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, January 31, 2011. REUTERS/Scott Audette

03. The space shuttle Discovery moves to launch pad 39A from the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida January 31, 2011. REUTERS/Scott Audette

04. Space shuttle Discovery moves to launch pad 39A from the vehicle assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida January 31, 2011. REUTERS/Scott Audette

05. The space shuttle Discovery is prepared for launch as the Rotating Service Structure is rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 23, 2011. Discovery is scheduled for launch with a crew of six astronauts on February 24 on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

06. The space shuttle Discovery is prepared for launch as the Rotating Service Structure is rolled back at launch pad 39A, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 23, 2011. Discovery is scheduled for launch with a crew of six astronauts on February 24 on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

07. Space shuttle Discovery crewmembers (L-R) Mission Specialist Nicole Stott, Mission Specialist Michael Barratt, Benjamin Drew Jr., Mission Specialist Steve Bowen, Pilot Eric A. Boe and Mission Commander Steven Lindsey wave before boarding the astronaut van for the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Discovery is set for launch on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

08. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Scott Audette

09. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

10. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Six astronauts are aboard on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

11. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Scott Audette

12. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

13. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Scott Audette

14. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Scott Audette

15. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Six astronauts are aboard on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Scott Audette (UNITED STATES - Tags: TRANSPORT SCI TECH)

16. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Six astronauts are aboard on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

17. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

18. The vacant structure of launch pad 39A is shown after space shuttle Discovery lifted off for the final time at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery blasted off for the last time on Thursday, carrying six astronauts and carting a load of supplies, spare parts and a robot for the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

19. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Six astronauts are aboard on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

20. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

21. Spectators watch as space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Six astronauts are aboard on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

22. NASA management watch the launch of space shuttle Discovery (STS-133) from the firing room at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Discovery, on its 39th and final flight, is carrying the Italian-built Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Robonaut 2, the first humanoid robot in space to the International Space Station. REUTERS/NASA/Bill Ingalls/Handout

23. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Discovery carries a crew of six astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Michael Berrigan

24. Space shuttle Discovery (below) continues to orbit as the solid rocket boosters separate from the spacecraft after it lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit on its final flight on Thursday for a 11-day mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

25. The underbelly of the space shuttle Discovery is seen during launch from a camera mounted aboard the orbiter's external fuel tank in this still image taken from video, February 24, 2011. REUTERS/NASA TV

26. Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. Discovery carries a crew of six astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

27. A youngster waves as space shuttle Discovery lifts off at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 24, 2011. REUTERS/Scott Audette

28. A long range tracking camera shows a close-up view of the space shuttle Discovery en route to space with it's three main engines and two solid rocket boosters firing in this still image taken from video, February 24, 2011. REUTERS/NASA TV

29. Space Shuttle Discovery mission specialists Steve Bowen (C) and Nicole Stott (R) work on the middeck of the orbiter as the crew prepares to dock with the International Space Station in this photo provided by NASA and taken February 24, 2011. REUTERS/NASA Handout

30. Space Shuttle Discovery mission specialist Nicole Stott works on the middeck of the orbiter as the crew prepares to dock with the International Space Station in this photo provided by NASA and taken February 24, 2011. REUTERS/NASA Handout

31. Space Shuttle Discovery mission specialist Steve Bowen works on the middeck of the orbiter as the crew prepares to dock with the International Space Station in this photo provided by NASA and taken February 24, 2011. REUTERS/NASA Handout

32. The space shuttle Discovery is pictured after it undocked from the International Space Station, in this photograph taken more than 200 miles above Earth and released on March 9, 2011. Astronauts on board Discovery closed the ship's payload bay doors on Wednesday in preparation for a landing in Florida that will complete the 27-year flying career of the world's most-traveled spaceship. REUTERS/NASA/Handout

33. The space shuttle Discovery lands at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency prepares for an uncertain future.REUTERS/Joe Skipper

34. The space shuttle Discovery lands at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency prepares for an uncertain future. REUTERS/Stan Honda/Pool The space shuttle Discovery taxis to a stop after landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency prepares for an uncertain future. REUTERS/Gary Rothstein/Pool

35. The space shuttle Discovery taxis to a stop after landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency prepares for an uncertain future. REUTERS/Gary Rothstein/Pool

36. Mission commander Steve Lindsey and Pilot Eric Boe (obscured) sit at the controls of space shuttle Discovery as it taxis down the runway after landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida March 9, 2011. The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency prepares for an uncertain future. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme

37. The space shuttle Discovery taxis to a stop after landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. The space shuttle Discovery capped a successful 13-day spaceflight with a smooth landing in Florida on Wednesday, ending a 27-year flying career for NASA's most-traveled spaceship as the agency prepares for an uncertain future. REUTERS/Gary Rothstein/Pool

38. The space shuttle Discovery sits on the runway after landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. REUTERS/Stan Honda/Pool

39. NASA Astronauts and STS-133 mission crew members, L-R: Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Michael Barratt, Pilot Eric Boe, Commander Steve Lindsey, Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, and Steve Bowen pose for a photograph in front of the space shuttle Discovery after they landed at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, completing Discovery's 39th and final flight on March 9, 2011. Since 1984, Discovery flew 39 missions, spent 365 days in space, orbited Earth 5,830 times and traveled 148,221,675 miles. REUTERS/Bill Ingalls/NASA/Handout

40. The space shuttle Discovery is towed from the runway after it landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 9, 2011. Six astronauts completed a mission to the International Space Station, ending the 27-year flying career of the world's most travelled spacecraft. REUTERS/Pierre Ducharme