The California Science Center opened its Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to the public Friday, displaying space shuttle Endeavour in a nearly 200-foot-tall launch configuration with authentic solid rocket boosters and an external tank.
The 200,000-square-foot addition at the Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, is the only place in the world displaying a complete, authentic space shuttle system with a flown orbiter, according to the center.
Sens. Alex Padilla, D-California, and Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, joined about 30 astronauts, hundreds of schoolchildren and local officials for the Friday morning grand-opening program and ribbon-cutting.
Kelly, who commanded Endeavour’s final mission, STS-134, was joined by four former crewmates: pilot Gregory Johnson and mission specialists Michael Fincke, Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori.
“Endeavour will live here for generations and kids from around the country will visit this place, look up at that spaceship, and be inspired to build hard things and do hard things,” Kelly said. “I’m forever grateful to have played a small part and I’m thankful for the team here at the California Science Center who made it possible for me to bring my two grandkids here to see the greatest spaceship that ever was.”
Padilla, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles, Assembly member Sade Elhawary, D-Los Angeles, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell also attended the ceremony.
“From Los Angeles to Silicon Valley, California has long been at the forefront of innovation and scientific discovery,” Padilla said in a statement. “The opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, home to the only complete Space Shuttle System on display anywhere in the world, is an exciting investment in California’s future, not only strengthening our tourism economy but expanding educational opportunities.”
The expansion nearly doubles the Science Center’s exhibit space and contains 100 aerospace artifacts and 100 hands-on exhibits focused on aviation, space exploration, science and engineering.
The Shuttle Gallery includes a 140-foot elevator ride alongside the shuttle stack to a glass-floor observation platform near Endeavour’s nose. Visitors can also use an orbiter-landing simulator, sit inside a replica flight deck and descend a 45-foot Shuttle Descent Slide designed to evoke a shuttle’s return through Earth’s atmosphere.
“The opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is the fulfillment of a decades-long vision, and it is better than we ever dreamed,” Science Center President and CEO Jeffrey N. Rudolph said. “This unparalleled educational experience will stand as an enduring source of inspiration for generations of scientists, engineers and explorers.”
The center has three multilevel galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
The aviation gallery features more than a dozen aircraft, including gliders and fighter jets, plus the forward 70 feet of a retired Korean Air Boeing 747-400. Visitors can take a five-minute simulated flight from Los Angeles to Seoul.
The space gallery includes the Mercury-Redstone 2 capsule, Gemini 11 capsule, Apollo-Soyuz Command Module and a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. Other hands-on exhibits allow visitors to program a miniature Mars rover, move through an International Space Station simulator and wear a digital spacesuit.
Lynda Oschin, chairwoman of the board and secretary of the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, said the center and the vertical display reflect the passions of her late husband.
“Fifteen years ago, I recognized the extraordinary potential of this project to inspire curiosity, encourage lifelong learning, and open new worlds of possibility for young people,” Oschin said. “I’m thrilled to welcome millions of children to the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, named to honor the memory and the tremendous legacy of my husband Samuel Oschin.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the new center reflects California’s role in science, education and innovation.
“California has always been a place of discovery, from the early pioneers of flight to the engineers, astronauts, scientists, and innovators who helped shape the space age and who are powering the next era of exploration today,” Newsom said in a statement.
Following the ribbon-cutting, hundreds of elementary, middle and high school students were among the first visitors to enter the center. Television producer Chuck Lorre and actor Iain Armitage of “Young Sheldon” welcomed students to the Shuttle Descent Slide, which was supported by a gift from the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation.
Free astronaut, aviation and space-themed talks will continue every half-hour through Sunday, with the final talk scheduled for 4 p.m. Presenters will include astronauts and experts from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.
“Endeavour’s Long Journey,” a photo exhibit documenting the shuttle’s final flight over California, its 12-mile, 68-hour trip through Los Angeles and Inglewood and its vertical installation at the Science Center, also opened Friday.
The center’s IMAX Theater will screen four space-themed films, including “The Dream Is Alive,” “Journey to Space 3D,” “Hubble 3D” and “A Beautiful Planet 3D.”
The project has raised more than $415 million toward its $450 million fundraising goal from more than 1,100 donors, according to the Science Center. Lead donors include the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation and the state of California.
General admission to the Science Center and the new Air and Space Center is free. Timed reservations are required for the new center because of anticipated demand, with a $4 service fee waived for Science Center members and in-person, same-day reservations.
The Air and Space Center will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Source: mynewsla.com
