CHANTILLY, Va. — NASA turned over space shuttle Discovery on Thursday to the Smithsonian Institution, the first in its orbiter fleet to be transferred to a U.S. museum.

The U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, astronauts and several thousand visitors greeted Discovery. It will retire as an artifact representing the 30-year shuttle program.

The world’s most traveled spaceship has been lifted off its Boeing 747 carrier and towed to the museum near Dulles International Airport.

Printed on Friday, April 20, 2012 as: NASA retires shuttle Discovery, Smithsonian will hold treasure