The Space Shuttle Endeavour Has A Futuristic New Home

It's been 14 years since the Space Shuttle Endeavour flew its final mission. With construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center nearing completion, the shuttle now has a permanent home in Los Angeles. The California Science Center is building the new $425-million facility not too far from Figueroa street, next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The project — which will add 200,000 square feet to the existing science center in Exposition Park – broke ground in June 2022, and is in its final stages, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that the museum's construction crew is about 80% finished wrapping the stainless-steel exterior skin around the shuttle. What makes this building special is that it features a curved stainless steel exterior design, inspired by the aerodynamic geometry of Endeavour's fuselage, wings, and vertical stabilizer. 

The structure stands 20 stories high, and uses a diagrid structural system made up of a self-supporting framework of diagonally intersecting steel beams — eliminating the need for interior columns, and allowing visitors to see the shuttle from multiple angles and elevations. The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is the third phase and centerpiece of the center's master plan, and joins the $1 billion-plus Lucas Museum in reshaping Exposition Park. General admission will be free, and the Oschin Center is expected to open in late summer 2025.

On January 30, 2024, the California Science Center did something that's never been done outside a NASA facility through a process called "Go for Stack." It was an intricate six-month process where engineers assembled and lifted the entire Space Shuttle system into vertical launch position. To start the procedure, aft skirts that anchor the shuttle stack had to be installed. These skirts were secured to a concrete pad resting on seismic isolators under the building, a very necessary safety feature for California due to its earthquake-prone location. 

Next was the stacking process, which involved assembling the solid rocket motors and the nose cones to form the tall white solid rocket boosters, which brought them to their full height. Finally, the huge orange external tank, ET-94, was lifted and attached to the rocket boosters. All of this prepared the stack so a crane could lift the Space Shuttle Endeavour into position and mate it with the rest of the components. The entire setup creates the world's only authentic complete Space Shuttle System.

According to the California Science Center, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will have a range of historic aircraft and spacecraft, as well as immersive displays and hands-on educational exhibits. The building will contain three multi-level galleries, the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery, all spread over four floors. Visitors will get to experience the shuttle from different angles and viewpoints over its 20 stories, and even ride a gantry that takes explorers up nearly 200 feet to see the top of the shuttle. Adding to the excitement is a 45-foot slide from the second floor to the ground floor. 

The Korean Air Aviation Gallery will showcase approximately 20 authentic aircraft displayed both on the floor and suspended in mid-air. The Kent Kresa Space Gallery will display examples of spacecraft from every stage of the United States human space program, including the Mercury MR-2, Gemini 11, and Apollo-Soyuz space capsules, while integrating a diverse collection of 100 authentic artifacts and 100 new hands-on, interactive exhibits.