Leaving The Forum celebration, Endeavour will head back into Los Angeles and pause again at Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard for the Debbie Allen production at around 2 p.m. (5 p.m. EDT; 2100 GMT). The intersection will be able to accommodate only about 1,500 spectators, according to the LAPD.
Endeavour will then roll along King to Bill Robertson Lane and then turn left into Exposition Park on the final stretch to the California Science Center's Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Display Pavilion.
The arrival at the CSC, which is expected around 9 p.m. PDT (midnight EDT; 0400 GMT Oct. 14), may provide the best opportunity for the public to see the Endeavour during its road trip. The center plans to debut Endeavour to the public on Oct. 30.
Trees, transporters and traffic
According to city officials, Endeavour will be one of the largest objects ever to be transported over city streets in Los Angeles history. Moving the 155,000-pound (70,300 kilogram) orbiter presented the science center and local police departments with significant logistical challenges. [Photos: Shuttle Endeavour's California Sightseeing Tour]
"Building [the space shuttle] Endeavour was a marvel of ingenuity and engineering," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement. "Moving Endeavour will also be a marvel of ingenuity and engineering. Every step of the way, we have worked to mitigate the concerns of the community. Thanks to this hard work, we expect that the transportation of Endeavour will be celebrated as a truly unique event in our city's history."
"We urge all those who are interested in viewing this once in a lifetime event to visit the space shuttle at one of the designated viewing locations or at its new home at the California Science Center," Villaraigosa said.
To make way for the space shuttle, the CSC worked with the cities of L.A. and Inglewood to facilitate the temporary removal and re-installation of power lines, traffic signals and street lights as Endeavour traverses through these communities. In evaluating the best route, it also became necessary to remove several hundred trees.
For every tree that was removed, up to four trees of higher quality will be planted in its place with other improvements to beautify these areas. Two years of tree maintenance will also be provided by the CSC Foundation.
According to the LAPD, extremely large crowds from all over Southern California are anticipated to show up in an attempt to see the shuttle in its final miles through the streets. Due to the road closures and limited parking, the police have cautioned that this influx will likely result in significant traffic congestion and long delays in and out of the area.
See shuttles.collectspace.com for continuing coverage of the delivery and display of NASA's retired space shuttles.
- Gallery: Space Shuttle Endeavour Construction Photos
- End of the Space Shuttle Ferry Era - Final Flights | Video
- Where to See America's Greatest Spaceships (Infographic)
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3 Comments
Add CommentHow stupid of Obama and 'Tony Villar' to chop down hundreds of shade trees thus ruining "Joe Sixpack's" neighborhood, when to fit the space junk thru the streets all that is necessary is to remove one, or both, wings and re-assemble the discarded shuttle on-site at the museum. Stupid!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThose wings aren't exactly removable. I'm pretty sure that the Orbiter doesn't have the standard wing box configuration as other aircraft by which you could unbolt it from the fuselage. And its not space junk, its a piece of aviation and space history, the pinnacle of human achievement, by which we as a species achieved a way to "shuttle" ourselves into orbit reliably.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso, its not like Obama himself personally decided on this. This was NASA and LA's call on what to do with it.
You read the article right, they mentioned they're replanting all those trees. And no, he didn't have any say, because if he did, why would he put it in a state that always votes blue, rather than the other state that wanted it, Texas, if he wanted to sway votes. Almost conspiracy theory ish
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