All articles tagged with #california science center
California's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will display the Space Shuttle Endeavour in a vertical, launch-ready pose—featuring its orbiter, solid boosters, and external tank—as the centerpiece of a new exhibit opening November 13, 2026, commemorating NASA's shuttle era.
The California Science Center unveiled a full-stack display of Space Shuttle Endeavour—the last orbiter—mounted in a vertical launch posture as part of a new 200,000-square-foot exhibit opening Nov. 13, 2026, highlighting Endeavour’s upgrades (SSPTS, Advanced Health Management System, GPS) and its missions including ISS construction and Hubble servicing, alongside the long effort to house the shuttle in an earthquake-resistant facility.
LA’s California Science Center will unveil Space Shuttle Endeavour in its launch-ready stack at the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center this November, offering a rare, authentic view of the orbiter attached to real boosters and an external tank; visitors can walk beneath the engines, explore the payload bay, and watch an introductory film, with timed entries planned for large crowds—the center’s 200,000-square-foot expansion doubles exhibit space and marks Endeavour’s continued public display since 2012 after its Go for Stack assembly.
The California Science Center in Los Angeles will unveil a 184-foot vertical display of the space shuttle Endeavour, mounted with its external tank and boosters, inside the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center on Nov. 13, 2026. The exhibit, created over four years, offers multi-level viewing, a pre-show, lighting adjustments for the payload bay, and a glass-elevator ascent for dramatic, up-close perspectives of the shuttle.
The California Science Center announced that its Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will open on Nov. 13, unveiling Space Shuttle Endeavour in a permanent, vertical “ready-to-launch” display—the world’s only exhibit featuring a complete shuttle stack with orbiter, solid rocket boosters and an external tank—as part of a $450 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion that also houses new galleries, immersive exhibits, and a J.J. Abrams–produced launch film.
California Science Center has completed the $450 million Samuel Oschin Air & Space Center, a 200,000-square-foot expansion that will nearly double exhibit space. The centerpiece is the space shuttle Endeavour displayed vertically in a ready‑to‑launch pose, within three galleries (air, space, shuttle) and with interactive exhibits including a SpaceX Dragon and a 747 flight simulator, all housed in a diagrid-style building designed for unobstructed views. An opening date is expected this summer, aiming to debut before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Space Shuttle Endeavour has been positioned in a ready-to-launch stance at the California Science Center in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, marking the completion of its final mission. The shuttle was carefully mated with its external tank and boosters after a challenging six-month process, and construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center around it is underway. The display is expected to inspire future generations and has already attracted around 20 million visitors since arriving in Los Angeles in 2012.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour, which last flew in 2011, has been raised into launch position at the California Science Center for the first time in over a decade as part of the construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. The impressive engineering feat involved assembling the Space Shuttle components outside of a NASA or Air Force facility, and the exhibit is expected to open to visitors in 2026. This will be the only complete stack of authentic space shuttle flight hardware in existence, making the Endeavour exhibit even more significant.
The Space Shuttle Endeavor has been hoisted into its "liftoff" position at the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Exposition Park, marking the completion of the "Go For Stack" process. This process involved moving the shuttle from its temporary accommodations to its permanent home and included the installation of various components used in shuttle missions. The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, upon completion, will roughly double the size of the California Science Center and will house three multi-level galleries.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour has been lifted into a vertical, ready-to-launch position at the California Science Center's future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, marking a major milestone in the museum's "Go for Stack" process. The retired NASA spacecraft, which completed 25 trips into space, will be displayed in a way that allows visitors to see it from multiple viewpoints of varying heights, including from a glass perch atop the nose, once the construction is completed in the next few years.
The final journey of the space shuttle Endeavour, the last ever built, is complete as it is positioned vertically outside the California Science Center, serving as the centerpiece of the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. The rare full-stack launch position marks the first time a shuttle designed for space has been assembled vertically outside of a NASA or Air Force facility. The move, which started 30 minutes earlier than anticipated, required precise positioning and careful maneuvering, with the shuttle's nose raised 200 feet into the night sky before being carefully lowered. The orbiter's placement aims to inspire the next generation of space explorers and will be part of the still-under-construction space museum.
NASA's retired space shuttle Endeavour has been hoisted and attached to a huge external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, where it will be displayed in a vertical launch configuration. The 20-story-tall display, which includes authentic shuttle components, stands atop an 1,800-ton concrete slab supported by base isolators to protect it from earthquakes. The project is estimated to take up to two years to complete and will also feature about 100 other aircraft and spacecraft.
The California Science Center is in the process of hoisting the space shuttle Endeavour into a vertical launch position, a dream project that began 30 years ago. The shuttle, which completed 25 trips to space before its retirement in 2012, will become the centerpiece of the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, doubling the Science Center’s educational exhibit space. Once completed, it will be the only place in the world where visitors can see a complete space shuttle system in launch position, showcasing real hardware and making space travel come to life for enthusiasts.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour is being prepared for its final display at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, with a 450-foot crane lifting it into a position that mimics liftoff. The shuttle, which completed 25 missions and played a key role in the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station projects, is being carefully maneuvered into place to avoid damage. The project is a culmination of 34 years of anticipation for Kenneth Phillips, curator of aerospace science at the California Science Center, and is seen as a symbol of achievement in the face of complexity.
The final installation of Space Shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank, ET-94, at the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center was delayed due to wind gusts. The tank, weighing 65,000 pounds and measuring 154 feet long, was hoisted by crane overnight but engineers postponed the final installation due to wind interference. Once completed, Endeavour will be displayed in a full-stack arrangement, pointing toward the stars as if ready for launch, making it the first time a shuttle designed for space has been assembled vertically outside of a NASA or Air Force facility.