Two huge solid rocket motors (SRMs) arrived at the California Science Center 11 years after the iconic Space Shuttle Endeavour’s 12-mile journey through Los Angeles streets.
These SRMs made their way from the Mojave Air and Space Port where they were stored, marking a significant event in space history and education.
Cheers to the Space Shuttle’s Arrival
The arrival of these SRMs drew in crowds of enthusiastic onlookers, including schoolchildren, residents, and guests, who cheered and chanted Shuttle! Shuttle! during the arrival ceremony in Inglewood, California. The excitement was palpable as the components of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center were transported to their new home.
The California Science Center is in the process of constructing the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, a towering 20-story structure that will serve as the permanent residence for the revered Endeavour.
The shuttle will be displayed in a liftoff position, accompanied by the SRMs, measuring an impressive 116 feet in length each, a pair of solid rocket boosters (SRBs), and a 65,000-pound external fuel tank.
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Final Pieces for the Science Center
These SRMs, generously donated by aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman, are the final pieces of the puzzle for the Science Center, where they will be displayed on the grounds for a few weeks before being moved to the under-construction Space Center.
Endeavor will grace the exhibition until the year’s end, and by early 2024, it will find its new home within the completed building.
To achieve this ambitious project, the California Science Center Foundation is actively fundraising, having already garnered $350 million of the $400 million goal required for the 200,000-square-foot Air and Space Center. The groundbreaking took place in the spring of 2022, and the center is slated for completion in 2025.
Former NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley, who piloted Endeavour during the Space Shuttle Program, expressed joy at seeing children excited about the space program.
These milestones not only commemorate the Space Shuttle’s journey but also inspire the next generation of space enthusiasts, setting the stage for exciting upcoming missions like Artemis, aimed at returning humans to the moon and eventually reaching Mars.
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