California Science Center sets Space Shuttle Endeavour opening date

Key Points:

• The California Science Center will open the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center on November 13, featuring the Space Shuttle Endeavour displayed vertically in a complete shuttle stack with orbiter, solid rocket boosters, and external tank.
• The $450 million, 200,000-square-foot center completes a master plan dating back to 1993 and includes galleries dedicated to Korean Air Aviation and space exploration, with the Endeavour as the centerpiece.
• Visitors can experience immersive exhibits including a J.J. Abrams-produced video, views inside the payload bay, underneath the engines, and from a glass elevator on the 20th floor, offering multiple perspectives of the shuttle.
• The exhibit preserves the shuttle’s authentic condition, showing mission wear and damage to emphasize the physical toll of space travel, with rare original hardware and the unique external fuel tank ET-94 sourced through NASA donation.
• Additional interactive features, such as a slide simulating the shuttle’s reentry path, aim to inspire future generations of scientists and explorers, fulfilling the center’s mission to engage and educate children and visitors worldwide.