NASA moves space shuttle Endeavour to California Science Center for exhibit

NASA photographers captured the last flight of space shuttle Endeavour on Sept. 21, 2012, as it rode atop a 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and headed for a new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The images were beamed worldwide, and the shuttle’s arrival marks the end of a 30‑year era of human spaceflight for the agency.

Endeavour’s final mission, STS‑134, launched in May 2011 and delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station. After that flight the shuttle was retired along with its fleet mates Columbia, Challenger, and Discovery. NASA decided to preserve Endeavour as a public exhibit to inspire future generations and to showcase the nation’s achievements in space exploration. The move to Los Angeles follows a three‑year refurbishment that restored the orbiter’s heat shield, tiles and interior for display.

The shuttle touched down at Los Angeles International Airport before being lifted onto a massive crawler that carried it to the Science Center’s new pavilion. The exhibit, opened in March 2015, lets visitors walk through the cockpit, see the payload bay and learn about the 135 missions flown by the shuttle program. NASA officials say the display will serve as an educational hub, offering hands‑on activities and a timeline of the United States’ space history. Local leaders praised the arrival, noting the boost it gives to tourism and STEM outreach in the region.

Now the focus shifts to preserving Endeavour for the long term and expanding its educational impact. NASA plans to rotate rotating exhibits that highlight current missions, such as Artemis and the James Webb Space Telescope, within the pavilion. The agency also hopes the shuttle will inspire a new wave of engineers, scientists and explorers who will carry humanity’s next steps beyond low‑Earth orbit.