Space Shuttle Endeavour Finds a Permanent Home

SEAN NGUYEN
Staff Writer

The space shuttle Endeavour was transported in October to the California Science Center as a permanent addition to the science center’s brand new air and space exhibit after being chosen from 20 other proposals as the location of display.
“[The Endeavour exhibit] is informative and fun,” senior Andrew Sirichuporn said. “[The shuttle] seems like it belongs there.”
Endeavour is just one of five different space shuttles that have been used since 1981 to accomplish a wide variety of transports and vital tasks in space.
“The space program and the space shuttles have made important achievements,” physics teacher Ernie Chen said. “The program has been one of the greater examples of American minds at work and of what can happen when the public is supportive of something.”
Formally ended on Aug. 31, 2011, the entire space shuttle program will be replaced by more specialized spacecrafts designed for specific missions and assignments. NASA has awarded contracts to various companies to help develop and manufacture a new generation of launch systems that will soon take astronauts into space.