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The final move comes more than a decade after Endeavour rolled through the streets of Los Angeles. The external fuel tank move, however, was delayed by winds and needed 14 hours over two days to complete. It took about six hours to install the rockets, nearly the same time needed to complete Endeavor’s soft mate. The rockets, external tank and orbiter were installed over a seven-month period, with the twin 149-feet solid rocket boosters assembled between July and November, the external tank in early January and the orbiter on Tuesday. Scaffolding was constructed, removed and adjusted throughout various parts of the positioning. The stacking process at the Los Angeles site presented challenges to engineers who were used to multiple cranes and platforms used at the Kennedy Space Center. Read more: A successful liftoff: Space shuttle Endeavour's rockets are installed It will be a few years before the shuttle will be accessible to the public as the space museum and its other exhibits are constructed. The covering is not expected to be removed until construction of the 20-story Oschin Center, which will be built around the full-stack display, is complete. The orbiter was enclosed to protect it from work site pollution and the elements. (Ringo Chiu / For The Times)Įngineers shrink-wrapped the shuttle a week earlier, “using a great big heat gun fueled by a propane tank,” according to Clark. Piers Brinkley, right, and Clare David take photos as the space shuttle Endeavour is prepared to be lifted at the California Science Center. "Where Endeavour is positioned now is basically where it's going to be," Rudolph said.
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During that time, the crane’s sling will be removed, the space shuttle will stand without assistance and all of its parts will be bolted into place. The “hard mate” may happen as early as Tuesday evening, but it could take a couple of days, Rudolph said. The giant orange tube is the last such tank in existence. The second part will be the “capture” - the process of attaching Endeavour to the 15-story external fuel tank dubbed ET-94. The first part of the move, which began Monday night and finished Tuesday morning, was known as the “soft mate” and consists of the orbiter’s hoisting and lowering near the external fuel tank and rockets. Read more: Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange external tank begins final journey “Once the crane gets the orbiter within about 4 inches of where it needs to be, will take over lowering the rest of the way with micro-inch capability,” Clark said. Workers and engineers tossed electric cables and ropes from scaffolding as the final few feet of movement were handled by a hydraulic Hydra-Set mounted control box operator. “Here, you can get a feel of the scale, when you’re standing right here next to the external tank and rockets.”Ĭrew members watch as the space shuttle Endeavour is placed into position at the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center. “People always said it was either much bigger or much smaller than expected, and it’s because in previous viewings, it was right on top of you,” Reisman said. “Fortunately, we only have to do this once.”Ī professor of astronautics practice at USC, Reisman said the stacked formation offers a true vantage point of the orbiter.
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“They really had to thread the needle,” said Reisman, who flew on three space shuttles, including Endeavour on his first mission in 2008.
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Read more: Mission accomplished: Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange fuel tank moved into viewing spot in L.A. Endeavour was then turned 17 degrees clockwise to provide adequate clearance for its 78-foot wingspan before being carefully lowered, according to Larry Clark, a retired space shuttle engineer who worked 44 years at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Įndeavour’s slow descent was "terrifying" for astronaut Garrett Reisman, who pointed at the far tip of the rudder as it came within 20 feet of the second-level platform. The shuttle's nose was raised 200 feet into the night sky so that the rudder could clear 80 feet of space. Space Shuttle Endeavour is inside the Oschin Center and continues to be lowered down.