Post date: Oct 13, 2012 6:39:45 PM
The retired U.S. space shuttle Endeavour is rolled through the streets of Los Angeles on its way to its new home at the California Science Center.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 13, 2012)(NBC) - The retired U.S. space shuttle Endeavour continued its final journey through the streets of Los Angeles on Saturday (October 13).
Endeavour began its two-day, 12 mile (19 km) trip on Friday (October 12) morning. It is expected to reach its final destination, the California Science Center, by Saturday evening, where it will become a permanent tourist attraction.
The shuttle, which was in operation from 1992 to 2011, was largely built in southern California and was a workhorse of the U.S. space program, flying 25 missions in total. It is 122 feet (37 meters) long and 78 feet (24 meters) wide and stands five stories tall at the tail, which police say makes it the largest object ever to move through the streets of Los Angeles.
Organizers have said only a few inches separate Endeavour's wings from structures along the route, and workers have cut down 400 trees along curbs to clear a path. TheCalifornia Science Center has said it will plant a thousand new trees to make up for their loss.