NASA Picks LA For New Home of Endeavour

Exposition Park - The space shuttle Endeavour, which was built in Palmdale to replace the destroyed Challenger shuttle, will be placed on display at the California Science Center in Exposition Park after its upcoming final mission, NASA announced today.

When its final mission is completed, Endeavour will have traveled 115 million miles during 25 flights, carrying 139 people into orbit. It was the final shuttle built, but was the first to include safety improvements such as a drag parachute deployed on landing, and nose-wheel steering to prevent wear on the tires during runway rollout.

Construction on Endeavour began in 1987, the year after the space shuttle Challenger blew up 73 seconds after launch on Jan. 28, 1986. Endeavour was completed in 1991.

Endeavour is scheduled to launch on its final mission later this month.