California Science Center officials have commenced the process of transforming the space shuttle Endeavour into a vertical display, which will include two rocket boosters and an external fuel tank. This undertaking is groundbreaking, as it will be the first time a shuttle has been reconfigured outside of a NASA facility.
For the past 11 years, the shuttle has been exhibited in a horizontal position at the Science Center. However, construction began last year on the $400 million Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, where the shuttle will be housed in a vertical launch position along with the rocket boosters and fuel tank.
The new center is not set to open until 2025, but the “Go for Stack” process has officially begun, with a timeframe of six months. This process started with the meticulous installation of “aft skirts,” which will serve as the foundation for stacking the solid rocket motors and forming the boosters. Following that, there will be an effort to raise the massive external fuel tank, ET-94, into a vertical position. The next step involves using a large crane to lift the shuttle itself and position it in a 200-foot-tall vertical display.
This move will mark the final journey of the space shuttle Endeavour within the Science Center, as it transitions to the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in early next year. Jeff Rudolph, the president and CEO of the California Science Center, made this announcement during a ceremony on Thursday morning.
The ceremonial event coincided with Space Exploration Day.
Due to the relocation process, the space shuttle Endeavour will no longer be available for public viewing after December 31. It will remain off-limits until the new Samuel Oschin center opens its doors.
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Exposition Park will occupy a 200,000-square-foot space, nearly doubling the Science Center’s educational exhibition area. The center will consist of three multi-level galleries dedicated to air, space, and the shuttle. Additionally, it will feature an events and exhibit center for large-scale rotating exhibitions.
Science Center officials are actively fundraising for the construction project, having already raised approximately $320 million out of the $400 million goal.
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