Endeavour arrives in LA on September 20th, 2012

It’s almost time to welcome the Space Shuttle Endeavour back to Southern California.  The shuttle hasn’t been here since 2008 when it landed at Edwards Air Force Base.  However, the shuttle was built here (all of them were) and it landed at Edwards after 7 of its 25 trips to space.

Here is how the timeline breaks down: First, the shuttle will fly over on the back of a 747 NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from Florida to Los Angeles International Airport, landing on September 20th.  NASA will work at LAX to get the shuttle ready for the rest of the move, and on the night of October 12th, the shuttle will be moved to the California Science Center near downtown.  The drive from LAX to the California Science Center is only 13 miles, but it must me done at 1 MPH.  To complicate matters, the size of the shuttle requires that streetlamps, overhead utility lines and trees must be removed for the transport of the craft.  This won’t be easy, but having such an important piece of history on display in a place where so many will see it makes all the trouble and expense worth it.

Endeavour to arrive in California on September 20 – Light Years Blog – CNN.com