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Completed SRBs side by side. | Photo courtesy of California Science Center
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The California Science Center Wednesday marked another milestone in the intricate process of assembling an upright, launch-ready display of the space shuttle Endeavour, completing the assembly of the twin solid rocket boosters.
Crews last month lifted the two, 52-ton solid rocket boosters — each 116 feet long and 12 feet in diameter — into upright position on the site. They were carefully secured to the aft skirts that act as the base of the rockets.
Science Center officials said the rocket booster assembly has now been completed with the addition of the “forward assembly” — or cone-shaped tops — to the boosters.
The next step in the “Go For Stack” process will be the lifting and securing in place of the external fuel tank, known as ET-94, which is expected to occur in January. The tank is the last remaining flight-qualified external tank in existence, according to the center.
After that, the center will begin the laborious process of delicately moving the shuttle itself across Exposition Park, then lifting it into vertical launch position. When completed, it will be the only launch-ready display of a shuttle in the world.
The 200-foot-high display will be the centerpiece of the under-construction Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
“I am thrilled to announce the completion of a significant Go for Stack milestone marked by the successful installation of the two space shuttle solid rocket boosters,” Jeffrey Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, said in a statement.
“This achievement underscores our commitment to advancing science learning and creating opportunities for inspiration. We look forward to the continued progress on the vertical installation of Endeavour and to sharing this awe-inspiring display with guests when we open the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in a few years.”
The pending move of the shuttle means it will be taken off public display at the end of the year, so residents who want to get a last look at the veteran space vehicle in its current horizontal configuration must do so by Dec. 31.
The 200,000-square-foot Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Exposition Park will nearly double the Science Center’s educational exhibition space, officials said. The building will include three multi-level galleries, themed for air, space and shuttle. The new facility will also house an events and exhibit center that will house large-scale rotating exhibitions.
An opening date for the new $400 million center has not yet been determined.
