That’s space shuttle Discovery, now stripped of her three main engines as well as the distinctive orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods that used to flank her vertical stabilizer. She’ll be fitted out with dummy engines before she goes on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, but for now, she’s looking pretty shabby and weirdly deformed without those pods. And I’ll be honest, the thought of her without her engines, the burning heart of a rocket ship… well, comparisons to taxidermy are not inappropriate, in my mind. You can admire the form and colors of a stuffed bird, but its vitality, the thing that made it truly beautiful, is gone forever.

This photo, taken yesterday, shows Discovery being moved out of a hanger known in NASA-speak as Orbiter Processing Facility 2 to make room for Atlantis when she comes home next week. Endeavour, meanwhile, is in Orbiter Processing Facility 1, having her various fuel tanks drained. A few weeks from now, both she and Atlantis will look like Discovery as all three surviving orbiters undergo their decommissioning and become butterflies on a pin.

If you haven’t heard, Atlantis‘ mission has been been extended by one day. She’s now scheduled to land on July 21, a week from tomorrow, at 5:56 AM Eastern. Which will be the wee dark hours here in the Mountain zone. I’m debating over trying to get up (or just stay up) to see it live…