![]() LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world, said Robert Pearlman, editor of the space history and artifacts website. As the newest shuttle, Endeavour featured hardware not found in the other orbiters, including improved plumbing and electrical connections intended for longer missions, as well as updated flight systems.Īfter touching down at LAX, the Shuttle Aircraft Carrier bearing Endeavour taxied to a hangar at the airport, where the orbiter will remain as preparations are made for its mid-October ground transfer to the CSC, via the streets of Inglewood and Los Angeles, where hundreds of trees have been controversially cut down for the shuttle parade.īy agreement with LAX, Endeavour must be out of the hangar and off airport property by October 12. (See ultrahigh-resolution, 360-degree space shuttle pictures.)Īnd being one of the lighter-and therefore more fuel efficient-space shuttles, Endeavour was often used to ferry the heaviest cargo into space. It has hauled satellites into orbit and was chosen for the critical Hubble servicing mission in 1993, which corrected the space telescope's faulty vision. Named after a ship commanded by 18th-century English explorer James Cook (hence the shuttle name's British spelling) Endeavour was the fifth and final NASA space shuttle to be constructed-a replacement for Challenger following that orbiter's deadly accident in 1986.Įndeavour, which first launched in 1992, was known for its versatility. "We have renderings of the master plan for the science center going to back to 1992, when we said, 'Someday they're going to retire the space shuttles, and we ought to try to get one,'" Rudolph said. ![]() The shuttle took off again for the final time midmorning Friday and conducted more flyovers of regions in northern and southern California-including the Palmdale area, where all of the shuttles were built, and downtown Los Angeles-before landing at LAX.Įndeavour flew its final mission last May and is being retired to the California Science Center (CSC) in Los Angeles, where it will form the centerpiece of a new space shuttle display. (See pictures from space shuttle Endeavour's final mission.)ĬSC president Jeffrey Rudolph told National Geographic News that Endeavour's arrival today marked the fulfillment of a 20-year dream for the center. PT, marked the end of a three-day, cross-country tour and the last time the retired orbiter will be aloft.Īfter various stops and flybys at sites that have contributed to the shuttle program during its 30-year history, Endeavour arrived at Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Thursday afternoon. NASA's space shuttle Endeavour landed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Friday afternoon, swooping down through a bright-blue southern California sky alongside two fighter jet escorts.Įndeavour arrived at LAX perched atop a modified 747 during a ferry flight from Florida's Kennedy Space Center that began on Wednesday.
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