Space shuttle Atlantis is moved to museum at Kennedy Space Center (pictures)

On a slow crawl on top of the 76-wheel Orbiter Transporter System (OTS), the retired space shuttle Atlantis on Friday began its 12-hour trip from the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), its workplace of almost 30 years.

The shuttle will be housed at the center's visitor complex. A custom-built $100 million exhibit scheduled to open in 2013 will include high-tech displays showcasing the shuttle's years of contributions to the space program.

Here, space shuttle Atlantis moves down the Kennedy Parkway on its 76-wheeled orbiter transporter system on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. In the background is the 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building.