Shuttle Endeavour soars over Calif state Capitol

Published September 21, 2012 4:57pm ET



SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Space shuttle Endeavour is swooping over Sacramento, making a low pass over the state Capitol as part of an aerial tour.

Thousands watched Friday from nearby rooftop buildings and along a bridge as the shuttle, strapped to the back of a modified jumbo jet, circled the city.

It will buzz by landmarks in the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles before landing at the Los Angeles International Airport for a welcome ceremony.

Endeavour, which replaced the lost Challenger, flew 25 missions. It arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert Thursday after a cross-country ferry flight that included a salute to its last commander, Mark Kelly, and his wife, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

It’s set to retire at the California Science Center near downtown LA.