MANHATTAN — After delays due to rain, NASA's space shuttle is now expected to fly above New York City Friday.
The agency had originally planned to fly the shuttle on the back of a specially-outfitted Boeing 747 jet from Washington, D.C. to John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday. NASA had hoped to bring the shuttle to New York on Wednesday, but bad weather delayed them once again.
NASA is still waiting for a weather briefing before making a final decision on the flyover, which will take the Enterprise on a cruise above several city landmarks — and thousands of fans eager to see the spectacle.
"Managers shifted the flight from Wednesday to Friday because of a large region of low pressure dominating the East Coast," the organization said in a statement.
"The weather is predicted to be more favorable Friday."
Friday's forecast is calling for sun and a high of 63 degrees.
The Enterprise, a prototype shuttle that never flew in space and was used largely for test flights within the Earth's atmosphere, will eventually find a permanent home at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum.
The shuttle is one of four being sent to various museums across the country. Three others that did make it to the final frontier will be housed in Florida, Los Angeles and Virginia.
After its scenic, low-altitude flight to New York, the Enterprise will stay at JFK for a few months before it finally makes its way to Hell's Kitchen. Later in the summer, the shuttle will be placed on a barge that will be moved by tugboat up the Hudson to the Intrepid Museum.
