All the detailed plans have arrived for Rock and Roll Two: the Space Shuttling, the Space Shuttle Endeavour's two-day, 2 mph trip from LAX to the California Science Center in Exposition Park. The trip has been adorably named Mission 26: The Big Endeavour and according to California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph, "This will mark the first, last and only time a space shuttle will travel through 12 miles of urban, public streets." The journey starts at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the shuttle (which is 78 feet long and 58 feet high) will be strapped on the back of NASA's Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft; the carrier is scheduled to land at LAX on September 20 ("The target date is flexible, pending weather conditions at Kennedy Space Center, along the flight path and in Los Angeles," according to a press release). Once it arrives, "engineers must ensure that wind conditions remain below 10 mph as they use a pair of cranes and a giant sling to lift the 170,000-pound orbiter off the jetliner. NASA's 747 plane will be backed out while an overland transporter rolls under the shuttle," according to the Daily Breeze.
Endeavour will hang out in a United hangar for final prep and finally depart LAX on October 12. Here's the release: "It will be transported with a series of moves and stops that will occur as Endeavour goes under raised transmission lines and across the 405 Freeway to arrive at Inglewood City Hall for an official launch ceremony on the morning of October 13." After that, it'll go to Martin Luther King and Crenshaw Boulevards for a celebration produced and directed by Debbie Allen. The space shuttle should arrive in Expo Park that night. Here're the turn-by-turn directions:
Endeavour will open to the public on October 30. Meanwhile, the CSC is working on a permanent building for the shuttle that should be ready in 2017.
· California Science Center Announces Details for Mission 26: The Big Endeavour [MarketWatch]
· Space Shuttle Endeavour Moving Party Happening This October [Curbed LA]
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