June 24, 2026

— There are just some sights in this world for which photography cannot do justice.

Think of the rolling ribbons of the aurora in the northern and southern skies; the depth and breadth of the Grand Canyon; or the sense of immersion when diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Astronauts will tell you that not even large-format cameras can truly capture the blackness of outer space or the majesty that is our planet as seen from orbit or beyond.

It is not every day that a new one of those sights debuts. But such will be the case on Friday, Nov. 13, when the California Science Center in Los Angeles at long last reveals the launch pad-like display of the space shuttle Endeavour, inside the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

"It has been more than 30 years since we first dreamed of putting a shuttle in the launch position in our air and space center, and it is better than we ever thought it was going to be," said Jeffrey Rudolph, president and CEO of the science center, in an interview with collectSPACE. "I haven't had anybody walk in there yet who is disappointed, and more than that, who isn't excited and in awe."

"It is an incredible exhibit and incredible sight," he said.

Drone tour of Endeavour's towering display. Click to enlarge video in pop-up window. (CSC)

Setting the stage

It has taken four years to construct the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, including accomplishing what many thought to be impossible: stacking a space shuttle orbiter with its external tank and twin solid rocket boosters without the use of a NASA facility intended for that purpose.

"I was very uncertain if it would ever happen when we first looked at the proposal, because I think — and the science center admits this — they really had no idea what was involved in trying to make a vertical display of a space shuttle stack," said Dennis Jenkins, a former space shuttle engineer who led the preparation and delivery of the orbiters for their museums before becoming the project director for the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

"We weren't sure that it could be done anywhere other than at a [NASA] specialized facility. Doing it out in the middle of a construction site always seemed a little bit fantastic," Jenkins told collectSPACE. "Of course, it proved to be extremely difficult but yet extremely easy all at the same time. Once we figured out how to do it, it worked well."

Now that the countdown has begun, T-minus 142 days to opening, the pressure is on to be ready to launch. In addition to the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Air and Space Center includes the Korean Air Aviation Gallery and Kent Kresa Space Gallery, which will showcase more than 25 aircraft and both historic and modern spacecraft, respectively.

"We're still installing a lot of exhibits," said Rudolph of the work remaining to be done. "We've got artifacts that are still going in the aviation and space galleries. Quite a few are in, but a lot more are still to go. And we have begun installing the exhibits, but have a lot to install as well."

Over the past year, a segment of a walkthrough space shuttle solid rocket booster has been lifted into the building by crane; a Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.4 aircraft was installed, a Rocket Lab Electron booster was stood up; and most recently in May, the 70-foot forward section of a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft fuselage was rolled in.

"After that, we'll have a period where we want to do some testing. To study some operational issues before we get open to the public, so that it runs smoothly when we do open," he said.

As for Endeavour, it is almost ready for its spotlight. The orbiter is configured so from one angle it looks like its payload bay doors are closed and from another you can see into the one open door to see the payloads as the shuttle was configured for a mission to the International Space Station.

"For the most part, we still have to adjust the lighting in the payload bay," said Jenkins. "Once that gets configured, then we have to latch the closed payload bay door and put a sheet of acrylic over the open crew hatch, so that it stays clean inside Endeavour."

A sight to behold

Endeavour has a pre-show before it is revealed on display. (Spoiler warning: Skip the next paragraph if you do not want to know details of the experience.)

Inside a theater, a video produced by the California Science Center provides a brief history of the space shuttle and how Endeavour came to stand within this building. The footage ends with the final launch of Endeavour as the room fills up with fog. As the air clears, a wall that was once there has dropped away and you are suddenly just feet away from the 184-foot-tall (56-meter) stack.

From there, guests will be able to view Endeavour from several levels of the building, from the ground up. There will also be an opportunity for some visitors to board a glass elevator and ascend the gantry standing beside the shuttle. The top level has a transparent walkway, so you can see the entire vehicle below you.

"I'm extremely happy that we're almost done and we can show it off, because the public has been listening to us for 15 years — 30 years, if you go back to the master plan — about how great this is going to be," said Jenkins. "Everybody that has walked into that room just stops, their mouth opens and their eyes open wide, and as often as not, the words "oh shi*t" come out of their mouths, and you know it's truly one-of-a-kind."

"If you're a space geek, it's unbelievable because the view is like nothing we ever got, even a Kennedy, unless you happen to be on the mobile launch platform as we rolled out. You never got these kind of views because we always had platforms and other stuff around the vehicle. The views in this place are incredible, they are just amazing."

One person particularly looking forward to Nov. 13 is Lynda Oschin, who chose to honor the legacy of her husband by directing her family foundation to make the leading donation for the new air and space center.

"It's very exciting. I can't wait to see the expressions and all of the happy tears in the eyes as we saw way back in 2012, when people first walked in and saw Endeavour in in horizontal position. I just can't wait to see all the excitement," said Oschin.

"I did this in the memory and in honor of my husband, because the space shuttle incorporates everything that Sam loved and was involved in," she said. "Sam's picture is in the shuttle now and it is always going to be in there. It's in a frame on the flight deck. That really is extra special for me and makes me feel good to know that his picture is in there."