▲ Space Shuttle Endeavour at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center
As the spacecraft on the screen soars toward the sky, thick fog spreads all the way to the spectator seats.
Beyond the fog, the doors to the exhibition hall open, revealing the retired Space Shuttle Endeavour standing tall toward the sky, looking just as it did during its active service.
With its orange external fuel tank and a pair of rocket boosters attached, Endeavour looks ready to blast off into space at any moment.
On June 24 (local time), the California Science Center in Los Angeles (LA) unveiled the vertically mounted Endeavour to the media for the first time, about five months ahead of the opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
The California Science Center stated that this is the world's first exhibition where visitors can view a real space shuttle assembled vertically in a launch-ready configuration from such a close distance.
Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center, explained at a press conference that day, "This is the only place in the world where you can see a complete space shuttle system, combining the space-flown orbiter Endeavour, actual solid rocket boosters, and the only remaining external fuel tank, ET-94."
Rather than just displaying the space shuttle, the exhibition is designed to allow visitors to look deep inside the spacecraft through cutaway sections.
An elevator is located right next to it, allowing visitors to appreciate different views depending on the height, from the bottom where Endeavour's engines and heat shield are located, to the top where the cockpit where astronauts sat can be seen.
This exhibition is also the final phase of the three-phase master plan that the California Science Center has been pursuing since 1992.
To accommodate the space shuttle, which stands 20 stories tall when upright, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center was also built to a total height of 200 feet (about 61 meters).
Finishing this project is expected to cost a total of $450 million (about 694.6 billion won), and $410 million has already been raised.
Lynda Oschin, chairperson of the Mr. and Mrs. Oschin Family Foundation, which made a large donation to the project, shared her thoughts, saying, "I thought about how to inspire children and open up a new world of possibilities. I have no doubt that this project will encourage children's dreams and adventures and stimulate them to seek careers in science and engineering."
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will open to the public on November 13.
Along with the Endeavour exhibition gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, which features 12 aircraft including a Boeing 747 passenger jet, and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery will also welcome visitors.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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