{"id":43164,"date":"2026-06-25T00:12:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/we-got-a-sneak-peek-of-the-final-space-shuttle-set-to-go-on-public-display\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T00:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T16:12:52","slug":"we-got-a-sneak-peek-of-the-final-space-shuttle-set-to-go-on-public-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/we-got-a-sneak-peek-of-the-final-space-shuttle-set-to-go-on-public-display\/","title":{"rendered":"We got a sneak peek of the final space shuttle set to go on public display"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are some sights in this world that no photograph can truly capture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"\">Think of the rolling ribbons of the aurora in the northern and southern skies, the depth and breadth of the Grand Canyon, or the sense of immersion when diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Astronauts will tell you that not even large-format cameras can truly capture the blackness of outer space or the majesty that is our planet as seen from orbit or beyond.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not every day that a new one of those sights debuts. But such will be the case on Friday, November 13, when the California Science Center in Los Angeles finally reveals the launch-pad-like display of the space shuttle <em>Endeavor<\/em>&nbsp;inside the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been more than 30 years since we first dreamed of putting a shuttle in the launch position in our air and space center, and it is better than we ever thought it was going to be,\u201d said Jeffrey Rudolph, president and CEO of the science center, in an interview with collectSPACE.com. \u201cI haven\u2019t had anybody walk in there yet who is disappointed, and more than that, who isn\u2019t excited and in awe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is an incredible exhibit and incredible sight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-video ars-video--horizontal\"><iframe class=\"absolute left-0 top-0 block h-full w-full object-cover\" allow=\"fullscreen\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6VbfrOUDdrw?start=0&amp;wmode=transparent\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>      Endeavour on display.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>Setting the stage<\/h2>\n<p>It has taken four years to construct the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, including accomplishing what many thought impossible: stacking a space shuttle orbiter with its external tank and twin solid rocket boosters without using a NASA facility intended for that purpose.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was very uncertain if it would ever happen when we first looked at the proposal, because I think\u2014and the science center admits this\u2014they really had no idea what was involved in trying to make a vertical display of a space shuttle stack,\u201d said Dennis Jenkins, a former space shuttle engineer who led the preparation and delivery of the orbiters for their museums before becoming the project director for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe weren\u2019t sure that it could be done anywhere other than at a [NASA] specialized facility. Doing it out in the middle of a construction site always seemed a little bit fantastic,\u201d Jenkins told collectSPACE. \u201cOf course, it proved to be extremely difficult yet extremely easy all at the same time. Once we figured out how to do it, it worked well.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2160296 align-center\">\n<p>              <img width=\"640\" height=\"889\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg-640x889.jpg\" class=\"center medium\" alt=\"a full space shuttle stack stands vertical in a new museum indoor display\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg-640x889.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg-1024x1423.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg-768x1067.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg-1106x1536.jpg 1106w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg-980x1362.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426b-lg.jpg 1382w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"><\/p>\n<p>              The 184-foot-tall stack, comprising the orbiter <em>Endeavour<\/em>, external tank, and twin solid rocket boosters, is believed to be the tallest indoor museum exhibit in the world.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      California Science Center<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Now that the countdown has begun, T-minus 142 days to opening, the pressure is on to be ready to launch. In addition to the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Air and Space Center includes the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and Kent Kresa Space Gallery, which will showcase more than 25 aircraft and both historic and modern spacecraft, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re still installing a lot of exhibits,\u201d said Rudolph of the remaining work. \u201cWe\u2019ve got artifacts that are still going in the aviation and space galleries. Quite a few are in, but a lot more are still to go. And we have begun installing the exhibits, but have a lot to install as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Over the past year, a segment of a walkthrough space shuttle solid rocket booster has been lifted into the building by crane, a Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.4 aircraft was installed, a Rocket Lab Electron booster was stood up, and in May, the 70-foot forward section of a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft fuselage was rolled in.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter that, we\u2019ll have a period where we want to do some testing. To study some operational issues before we get open to the public so that it runs smoothly when we do open,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2160298 align-center\">\n<p>              <img width=\"640\" height=\"482\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-640x482.jpg\" class=\"center medium\" alt=\"the indoor vertical exhibit of a space shuttle stack includes an open payload bay showing the equipment inside the cargo hold\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-640x482.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-980x738.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg-1440x1085.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426c-lg.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"><\/p>\n<p>              With one of its payload bay doors open, visitors will be able to see the type of equipment used on a mission to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      California Science Center\/Mike Kelley<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>As for <em>Endeavour<\/em>, it\u2019s almost ready for the spotlight. The orbiter is configured so that from one angle, its payload bay doors appear closed, while from another, you can peer through an open door to see the payloads arranged as they would have been for a mission to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the most part, we still have to adjust the lighting in the payload bay,\u201d said Jenkins. \u201cOnce that gets configured, then we have to latch the closed payload bay door and put a sheet of acrylic over the open crew hatch so that it stays clean inside <em>Endeavour<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>A sight to behold<\/h2>\n<p><em>Endeavour<\/em> has a pre-show before it is revealed on display. (<em><strong>Spoiler warning<\/strong>: Skip the next paragraph if you do not want to know details of the experience.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p>Inside a theater, a video produced by the California Science Center provides a brief history of the space shuttle and how <em>Endeavour<\/em> came to stand within this building. The footage ends with the final launch of <em>Endeavour<\/em> as the room fills up with fog. As the air clears, a wall that was once there has dropped away, and you are suddenly just feet away from the 184-foot-tall (56-meter) stack.<\/p>\n<p>From there, guests will be able to view <em>Endeavour<\/em> from several levels of the building, from the ground up. There will also be an opportunity for some visitors to board a glass elevator and ascend the gantry standing beside the shuttle. The top level has a transparent walkway, so you can see the entire vehicle below you.<\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2160299 align-center\">\n<p>              <img width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-640x960.jpg\" class=\"center medium\" alt=\"an indoor space shuttle museum display is seen from the floor level looking up\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-640x960.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-980x1470.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg-1440x2160.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426d-lg.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"><\/p>\n<p>              The view of space shuttle <em>Endeavour<\/em> from the ground up. The red gantry tower beside it will offer views from the top down when it opens with the center on Nov. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      California Science Center<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m extremely happy that we\u2019re almost done and we can show it off, because the public has been listening to us for 15 years\u201430 years, if you go back to the master plan\u2014about how great this is going to be,\u201d said Jenkins. \u201cEverybody that has walked into that room just stops, their mouth opens and their eyes open wide, and as often as not, the words \u201coh shit\u201d come out of their mouths, and you know it\u2019s truly one-of-a-kind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re a space geek, it\u2019s unbelievable because the view is like nothing we ever got, even at Kennedy, unless you happen to be on the mobile launch platform as we rolled out,\u201d he said. \u201cYou never got these kind of views because we always had platforms and other stuff around the vehicle. The views in this place are incredible. They are just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"ars-wp-img-shortcode id-2160300 align-center\">\n<p>              <img width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-640x360.jpg\" class=\"center medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-384x216.jpg 384w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-1152x648.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/cdn.arstechnica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-062426e-lg.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"><\/p>\n<p>              The California Science Center\u2019s new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will open on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>                  Credit:<br \/>\n                                      California Science Center\/Mike Kelley<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>One person particularly looking forward to November 13 is Lynda Oschin, who chose to honor her husband\u2019s legacy by directing her family foundation to make the leading donation to the new air and space center.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting. I can\u2019t wait to see the expressions and all of the happy tears in the eyes as we saw way back in 2012, when people first walked in and saw <em>Endeavour<\/em> in&nbsp;horizontal position. I just can\u2019t wait to see all the excitement,\u201d said Oschin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did this in the memory and in honor of my husband because the space shuttle incorporates everything that Sam loved and was involved in,\u201d she said. \u201cSam\u2019s picture is in the shuttle now, and it is always going to be in there. It\u2019s in a frame on the flight deck. That really is extra special for me and makes me feel good to know that his picture is in there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>See more photos and video at collectSPACE as the California Science Center continues its first look at space shuttle <\/strong><\/em><strong>Endeavour<\/strong><em><strong>\u2018s towering display.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are some sights in this world that no photograph can truly capture. Think of the rolling ribbons of the aurora in the northern and southern skies, the depth and breadth of the Grand Canyon, or the sense of immersion when diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Astronauts will tell you that not even large-format [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43165,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43164"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43164\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}