Photo by andertho

Big news for all you space nerds: as we noted last year, the space shuttle Discovery will join the Smithsonian’s collection in April. But even better, the AP reports today that NASA got the permits to fly a 747 with the shuttle strapped on it over the U.S. Capitol, allowing anyone in the city with a good view of the sky to get quite the view of it.

The National Air and Space Museum announced plans Tuesday for more than 25 special exhibits, programs and activities to highlight the history of the 30-year space shuttle program and the future of space exploration.

Discovery is scheduled to leave NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the back of a Boeing 747 on April 17 and fly over parts of the Washington area. The Smithsonian is planning “Spot the Shuttle” gatherings at various locations.

Once it arrives, Discovery will be put on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles, which currently houses the space shuttle Enterprise. That shuttle, though, will make its way north, heading to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York this summer.