Endeavour coming to LA hangar; public has opportunity to own piece of the NASA shuttle
NASA
The space shuttle Endeavour will touch down at LAX in the coming months, aboard another aircraft.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The California Science Center is one of four institutions chosen to receive a NASA shuttle for permanent display. The museum is preparing for the Endeavour's delivery later this year by building a temporary space to house the shuttle.
The hangar will be constructed northwest of the museum, near downtown L.A., the President of the Science Center Jeffrey N. Rudolph told the Los Angeles Times. Construction is scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks.
The L.A. Times reports that the temporary home will be climate-controlled and display the Endeavour horizontally. It will allow the public to see the shuttle within weeks of its arrival this fall.
But you can do more than view the shuttle -- you can own a piece of the Endeavour for $1,000. For this donation members of the public can "sponsor" a thermal tile which helps protect the orbiter from extreme heat and cold out in space and on re-entry from flights.
This sponsorship program is part of EndeavourLA, the Science Center's fundraising efforts to help build a new Air and Space Center and maintain ongoing programs and operations. EndeavourLA was launched last year when the shuttle's title was officially transferred to the L.A. museum.
The Endeavour is scheduled to arrive at LAX on a 747 NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
“NASA is pleased to share this wonderful orbiter with the California Science Center to help inspire a new generation of explorers,” said NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden at an event last year. “The next chapter in space exploration begins now, and we’re standing on the shoulders of the men and women of the shuttle program to reach farther into the solar system.”
After arriving at the L.A. airport, the shuttle will travel through through the city streets where it will be displayed in the temporary structure before moving to its permanent building facility in five years.
The L.A. Times reports that the move to the hangar will most likely happen on a Saturday and that the shuttle is so large that crews will have to close roads, cut trees and dismantle traffic signals so the shuttle can make its way through the city.
John G on March 12, 2012, at 01:48PM – #1
This is great news. Soon this space vehicle will make its home to a growing global city that will contribute to L.A.'s identity. The CSC will now be able to offer something to tourists and residents that hardly isn't available anywhere else; a piece of space history and the role of the local economy that helped make it come true. Hopefully the Endeavour will weave its iconic image through the minds of our younger generation to pave the way for the next generation of space exploration.