The Space shuttle Discovery was given a piggy back ride on the back of a Boeing 747 jet as it took off on its final flight today. The final destination is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Virginia, where Discovery will be moth balled and put on display for future generations to view.

Discovery was the fleet leader of NASA’s three surviving shuttles. Its last space flight was in March 2011.

President Barack Obama killed the space shuttle program last year after referring to the program as a waste of money.

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