Space shuttle Endeavour and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft took off Wednesday, Sept. 19, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin the first leg of a mission to deliver the retired shuttle to Los Angeles where it will go on display. The flight will be the last ferry flight of the space shuttle era, capping 35 years of shuttles riding atop modified 747s, counting the approach and landing tests conducted by Enterprise in 1977.
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EDWARDS –Edwards Air Force Base will be closed to the public on Thursday (Sept. 20) for the landing of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, transported on top of a NASA Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The orbiter will be making a temporary stop on the base, and there will be no public viewing areas for this landing.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to depart from Edwards Air Force Base and fly over the Antelope Valley on Friday, Sept. 21. The target time and date for arrival of the Space Shuttle Endeavour is flexible, pending favorable weather conditions and operational constraints along its flight path.
Emergency Management and Law Enforcement officials want to remind motorists and visitors to not stop at anytime on the roads or highways in order to view or take videotape/photographs of the Space Shuttle Endeavour as it flies over the Antelope Valley, as it may cause traffic congestion or potential accidents.
Also, the terrain in and around Edwards Air Force Base is not deemed safe to drive or park on as it is comprised of deep sand and silt materials that may cause vehicles to sink.
The best opportunity to view the Space Shuttle Endeavour in person will be at the California Science Center’s Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Display Pavilion located at Exposition Park in Los Angeles beginning on Oct. 30.
The now-retired Space Shuttle Endeavour flew 25 missions and landed seven times at Edwards Air Force Base.
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