The route took us downstairs through the museum and out to the temporary shed which is the Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion. Then the film ended and it was the magic moment to follow the trail to the ship herself. The festive atmosphere enjoyed by the thousands of people who came out to greet her came across the screen (I was sitting in the front row) and I felt like I was there. But when I saw how it was having difficulty maneuvering past buildings, trees and utility poles, it became evident that this was no small plane. Flying overhead on the back of a 747 (I think) it looked pretty small. That was when I began to appreciate the size of this vehicle. I also enjoyed the big screen film of Endeavour’s journey from LAX through the streets of Los Angeles. Itll be a momentous occasion for the California Science Center, the state-run museum just south of downtown L.A. On the main screen was a video of one of the launches. One of my favorite sections was the installation of the actual control center (donated by Rocketdyne). Visitors move through several galleries with displays relating to the history of the aerospace industry in southern California (where the Endeavour and the other shuttles were built). Especially considering this is the temporary housing for the shuttle until the permanent museum can be completed. The Science Center did a wonderful job with this exhibit. The actual Control Center installed at the Science Center… you can see lift-off on the main screen Everybody was very anxious to get in there! Just after 1:00pm by my watch, the sign changed to 1:00pm… yesss… but as fast as I moved I was still way back in the line. I was upstairs at 12:50 but the ticket time remained at 12:45 and people with later tickets were being asked to step aside. So, armed by that thought I swam through the waves of little humanity.Īt the gateway to the exhibit, the schedule was being adhered to strictly. More than a few would be inspired by what they were seeing and grow up to be scientists and astronauts. These youngsters were out experiencing real life. So much better than taking the kiddiewinks to a violent movie or plopping them in front of some video game for hours on end. But I decided to take a more positive attitude and I was glad that so many children had the opportunity to see, not just the shuttle, but the Science Museum too. At first I felt like I wanted to avoid the crowds and just get back on the train. The place was elbow to elbow with kids of every ilk. I arrived about 12:30 for the 1:00pm showing. I took the Expo Line train from Culver City to the stop just footsteps away from the entrance to the Science Center. I had intended to visit at some later date after all the excitement had died down.īut a friend had extra tickets so, although I really had not scheduled the time (too much going on right now), I decided to jump on the opportunity. In October, Endeavour was transported to the California Science Center in Exposition Park (across the street from the University of Southern California south of downtown). Endeavour making her way through the streets of Los Angeles
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