It has taken more than a decade of planning, engineering studies and fundraising, but finally, the space shuttle Endeavour is ready to go vertical.
The California Science Center, which since 2012 has exhibited the retired NASA orbiter in the horizontal orientation, has set the date for the spacecraft's new launchpad-like display to begin being installed in the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center (which is also still under construction). On July 20 — the 54th anniversary of the first Apollo moon landing — the base pieces for Endeavour's twin solid rocket boosters, the aft skirts, will be hoisted by crane into place.
"This might seem like a small first step, but it is a really a giant leap toward setting the foundation for Endeavour's vertical exhibit," Jeffrey Rudolph, president and chief executive officer of the California Science Center, said in an exclusive interview with collectSPACE.com. "When the aft skirts are installed, it represents the first step in a decades-long dream."
The move will also begin a countdown to Endeavour going off display for a few years. The public has until the end of this year to see the vehicle close to the ground. The exhibit, as it is now and has existed in the Samuel Oschin Display Pavilion, is the only place in the world where the public can walk under the tile-lined belly of a winged orbiter.
Related: Where are NASA's space shuttles now?
