The California Science Center provided the first public view of Space Shuttle Endeavour in its permanent home Wednesday and announced an opening date for its future air and space museum.
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will open to the public Nov. 13, according to the science center.
Officials said the exhibit will be the only place in the world where visitors can view a complete, authentic space shuttle system in launch position. The display features the flown orbiter Endeavour attached to a pair of real solid rocket boosters and ET-94, the last remaining flight-qualified external tank.
The shuttle stack stands nearly 200 feet tall, allowing visitors to walk beneath the orbiter’s main engines, view its open payload bay and ascend to elevated viewing platforms overlooking the spacecraft, according to officials.
Construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center was completed in April, nearly four years after groundbreaking on the project in June 2022. The 200,000-square-foot addition nearly doubles the Science Center’s exhibit space and will house more than 100 aerospace artifacts and hands-on exhibits focused on aviation and space exploration, officials said.
In addition to the shuttle gallery, the facility will include the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
“Space Shuttle Endeavour captivated millions during its flight from Florida and around California and then its historic overland journey from LAX to the California Science Center in 2012,” President and CEO of the California Science Center Jeffrey Rudolph said.
“It then went on to inspire millions more while on display for more than a decade. With its display of Endeavour in launch position, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will give us a greater platform than ever to accomplish our mission, to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone.”
He added that the exhibit “is the fulfillment of a decades long dream and will stand as an enduring source of inspiration for generations of scientists, engineers and explorers.”
Lynda Oschin, chairperson of the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, said the announcement marked a major milestone in realizing the vision for the center.
“When I first saw schoolchildren react with such enthusiasm to Endeavour’s astronauts, I recognized the extraordinary potential to inspire curiosity, encourage lifelong learning, and open new worlds of possibility for young people,” Oschin said. “Now, with the opening date for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center announced, it is incredibly exciting to see the vision becoming a reality. It is a wonderful tribute to my late husband, Samuel Oschin, and a lasting gift that will encourage learning and discovery for generations to come.”
Endeavour was lifted into its permanent vertical configuration in 2024 following a six-month assembly process known as “Go for Stack.” The orbiter, which flew 25 NASA missions between 1992 and 2011, has been on public display at the Science Center since arriving in Los Angeles in 2012.
Although the shuttle stack is now complete, the California Science Center still has several months of exhibit and artifact installation work ahead before the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens in November.
When it debuts, the center’s shuttle gallery will feature interactive attractions including a 140-foot gantry-style elevator ride alongside the shuttle stack, a 115-foot slide simulating a shuttle’s return through the atmosphere, and a replica flight deck where visitors can operate controls similar to those used by shuttle astronauts.