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NASA's space shuttle Endeavour has started its final journey, crawling through the streets of Los Angeles towards its permanent home at the California Science Centre museum.
Crowds lined the route as the space craft began the 12-mile trip in the early hours to cap off a 23-year career that boasted 25 lift-offs, 4,700 orbits of the Earth and some 123 million miles logged.
The 170,000-pound shuttle was scheduled to travel three miles on Friday morning aboard a custom carrier before stopping for nine hours while crews move power lines and other obstructions farther ahead on the route.
It is expected to arrive at the museum on Saturday.
The short $10m (£622,000) road trip from Los Angeles International airport, during which it can only travel at 2mph, has not been without controversy.
The route was carefully chosen after the options of dismantling the shuttle or lifting it via helicopter were ruled out.
But nearly 400 trees still had to be cut down to make way for the craft's 78ft wingspan, angering environmentalists.
California Science Centre officials say they will invest $2m (£1.2m) to plant 1,000 new trees and will maintain them for two years.
One of the trickiest parts involves inching through a narrow residential street, where the craft’s wings are expected to intrude into driveways. Residents have been told to stay indoors until the shuttle passes.
The baby of the shuttle fleet, Endeavour replaced Challenger, whose lift-off explosion in 1986 killed seven astronauts.
Last month Endeavour wowed the US with a farewell tour that began in Florida and included fly-overs of Mississippi, Texas and Arizona.
In California, it made passes over the state Capitol, Golden Gate Bridge, the famous Hollywood sign and other landmarks while strapped to the back of a modified 747, before finally landing at Los Angeles airport.
