The space shuttle Endeavour made its final journey last weekend,
traveling 12-miles from Los Angeles International Airport, through
Inglewood, to the California Science Center in Exposition Park.
The retired orbiter was carried through city streets atop a special
transporter. Throngs of people lined the route as it shimmied around
trees, utility poles and other obstacles.
It had arrived in Los Angeles on a Boeing 747 on Sept. 20 and kept in
LAX’s United Airlines hangar as it was prepared for the crosstown trip.
“Mission 26″ as it was dubbed because of the spacecraft’s 25 flight
missions for NASA started just before midnight Thursday and finished
Sunday afternoon, more than 16 hours late.
Its final journey was slowed by unexpected maintenance issues and
last-minute maneuvers to avoid obstacles like trees and utility poles.
The 85-ton orbiter survived the trip with nary a scratch.
- Los Angeles Times reports
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