Although Endeavour traveled into space 25 times, launched a number of satellites, visited Mir, helped assemble the International Space Station, and even repaired the Hubble Telescope, it was never designed to navigate the busy streets of an urban area. On today’s episode, we’re talking about the Space Shuttle Endeavor Transport project.Īs midnight approached on Octothe Space Shuttle Endeavour began its harrowing (if somewhat sluggish) journey from LAX airport to the California Science Center near downtown LA. I’m Grady, and this is Practical Engineering. This October marks the 10 year anniversary of the nearly 3-day trip, so let’s reminisce on this incredible feat and dive into what it took to get the orbiter safely to its final home. Endeavour’s 26th mission was a lot slower and a lot shorter than the previous 25, but it was still full of fascinating engineering challenges. But even though the orbiter was decommissioned after its final launch in 2011, it had one more mission to complete: a 12 mile (or 19 kilometer) trip through the streets of Los Angeles to be displayed in the California Science Center. Endeavour went on to fly 25 missions, spending nearly a year total in space and completing 4,671 trips around the earth. That first mission was a big one: the crew captured a wayward communications satellite stuck in the wrong orbit, attached a rocket stage, and launched it back into space in time to help broadcast the Barcelona Summer Olympics. Complete boosters were not reused instead, various permutations and combinations of segments flew together on different flights.In May of 1992, the Space Shuttle Endeavour launched to low earth orbit on its very first flight. After splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean following a launch, every SRB was broken into four segments and cleaned thoroughly. Like the orbiter herself, Endeavour’s SRBs are flight-proven. Over a year later, the first SRB was lifted into place on November 7 th of 2023. The groundbreaking ceremony for the towering building took place on June 1 st. The facility was christened the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in honor of a philanthropist who supported the museum.īy mid-2022, the Science Center’s leaders felt confident that they would obtain enough funding to complete the exhibit. The required funding gradually arrived in the form of donations, large and small. It acquired a flight-worthy ET and SRBs and placed them in storage outside. Throughout the following decade, the Science Center prepared for the larger exhibition. Endeavour will be housed in the tapering cylindrical building at right. The completed Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will be an impressive facility. The Science Center still has several major milestones ahead of it – most importantly, more fundraising – but Endeavour’s lift was a major step towards the completion of the exhibition. The exhibit will be the only authentic Space Shuttle stack in existence. The orbiter Endeavour was lifted into the air and mated to a flightworthy External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. The public was reminded of the Shuttle’s majesty last Monday when the California Science Center took a major step towards completing a one-of-a-kind display. As the most complex machines ever built, they stand as symbols of human ingenuity and the triumphs and tragedies which are intrinsic to exploration. Despite this, the elegant winged orbiters still hold a special place in American culture. Over 12 years have passed since the Space Shuttle program entered the history books with the bittersweet landing of STS-135. The Space Shuttle Endeavour, encapsulated in a protective layer of shrink wrap, is attached to the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters which will join her on display.
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