Space Shuttle Endeavour reached a significant milestone in its journey as it was recently hoisted into a launch-ready position. The California Science Center orchestrated this maneuver, employing a massive crane to elevate the 178,000-pound shuttle upright and carefully position it in the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. With the shuttle now displayed vertically, flanked by an orange fuel tank and rocket boosters, it marks the culmination of the museum’s six-month-long “Go for Stack” initiative.
This iconic space shuttle, renowned for its 25 space missions, a unique journey piggybacking on a 747 to Los Angeles, and a city parade, has now undertaken its final voyage – an ascent on a crane the size of a high-rise building. Although it will be a few more years before visitors can explore the retired NASA shuttle up close, glimpses of its upper section are currently visible to onlookers in Exposition Park. The nose half of the orbiter, along with substantial portions of the fuel tank and rockets, can be observed from various vantage points in the park.
For the best views, spectators are encouraged to visit the plaza or green area between the Coliseum and BMO Stadium. While the rose garden to the north provides a closer but somewhat obscured view, construction progress may obstruct some viewpoints in the coming months until a protective roof is in place.
The “Go for Stack” initiative commenced last July, focusing on the step-by-step construction process. The aft skirts, rocket boosters’ conical bases, were the first components lifted into the construction site. Subsequently, the 116-foot-tall solid rocket motors and forward assemblies were meticulously placed, with the massive orange external fuel tank, ET-94, joining them earlier this month.
The shuttle, previously housed in a temporary building until the end of 2023, was transported closer to the construction site for the final phase. A captivated audience gathered on State Drive as a pair of cranes expertly maneuvered the shuttle into an upright position on a Monday night. The intricate process, spanning over two hours, involved removing a smaller crane, adjusting angles, and executing a vertical lift with a 450-foot crane. The shuttle was carefully positioned close to the fuel tank before achieving a “soft mate” with the stack in the early morning. Subsequent work involved a “hard mate” to securely fasten the flight hardware bolts and nuts the next evening.