“The contributions made by the Space Shuttle Program to space science and exploration have been powerful,” said former shuttle commander Charlie Precourt, who now serves as vice president for propulsion systems at Northrop Grumman. The massive orange-brown tank, which left New Orleans atop a barge April 12, arrived in Marina del Rey, California Wednesday morning (May 18). The space shuttle Endeavour begins its 12 mile move from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center in Exposition Park. enroute to the California Science Center during its final journey in Los Angeles, California, on October 13. NASAs last existing external tank built to launch the space shuttle has made landfall in Los Angeles after a five-week ocean journey. Poignantly, the boosters also include an aft dome, aft stiffener and aft External Tank (ET) attach ring which helped power Columbia’s final ascent on 16 January 2003. Space Shuttle Endeavour travels Manchester Blvd. Image Credit: Northrop Grumman Corp.Īnd several parts flew on no less than 15 missions by Endeavour herself, including her inaugural orbital voyage, STS-49, and her second-to-last flight, STS-130. “CSC arranged for the boosters to be transported by truck from Promontory, Utah, to storage,” Northrop Grumman’s Kay Anderson told AmericaSpace, “where they will be until CSC is ready to mate them with the orbiter.” Although never flown as a complete SRB “set” on an actual shuttle flight, parts of the two boosters flew on 15 Endeavour missions between 19.īooster case history for the eight Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) segments destined for Endeavour at the California Science Center (CSC). When fully erected in an upright position-forming the centerpiece of the CSC’s future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center-the exhibit will mark the world’s only existing “stack” of a genuine shuttle, tank and boosters in their ready-to-launch configuration, anywhere in the world. Immediately following this preview exhibit, you will be directed to the Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion. Your experience will begin with a visit to Endeavor: The California Story, a companion exhibit introducing Endeavor and its relationship to California. has announced its intent to donate a pair of flight-worthy Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) to join Space Shuttle Endeavour and a “real” External Tank (ET) at the California Science Center (CSC) in Los Angeles, Calif. You will find the Endeavor exhibit entrance inside our Ecosystems gallery. Space shuttle Endeavour, seen here in 2008 atop NASA's Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, will arrive in Los Angeles Sept. Northrop Grumman will donate a pair of flight-worthy Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) to the Endeavour exhibit at the California Science Center (CSC).