Many had waited for over an hour for the shuttle to fly past. People were watching along the Embarcadero from the ball park to Fisherman's wharf, and from building tops and parks all over the city.

Barges used pile drivers to embed new piers behind those waiting along this section of the Embarcadero. The boom-boom made an interesting counterpoint to the soft conversations among those waiting.

We fist spotted the shuttle flying from west to east over the southern part of the city. Because of morning haze, it appeared in silhouette. The chase plane could clearly be seen following the Shuttle mounted on its 747 for the trip to Los Angeles for its final resting place.

The shuttle Endeavour was named after the first ship commanded by 18th century British explorer James Cook. From the NASA website :

Authorization to construct the fifth Space Shuttle orbiter as a replacement for Challenger was granted by Congress on August 1, 1987. Endeavour (OV-105) first arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility May 7,1991, atop NASA's new Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (NASA 911). The space agency's newest orbiter began flight operations in 1992 on mission STS-49, the Intelsat VI repair mission."

The shuttle Endeavour flew on its 747 over both modern San Francisco Bay, and over constructions dating back to the 1800's. And even earlier remains of the Shellmound Indians. A Space Shuttle on its final flight into that same past.

The shuttle Endeavour flew north over the center of the bay, passed over the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge and then turned west causing the sun to finally illuminate its side.

As of this writing, the Shuttle Endeavour has ceased flying and none of the space shuttles will ever fly again.