// SPACE.COM — SPAZIO & SCIENZA
California's brand-new Air & Space Center, home of the space shuttle Endeavour, opens today
Welcome to the Samuel Oschin Air & Space Center at the California Science Center.
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LOS ANGELES — The California Science Center officially opened its brand-new Samuel Oschin Air & Space Center to the public today (Nov. 13).
After more than three decades in development, folks can finally visit the Los Angeles science museum's massive new wing. For most of us, the biggest draw is its centerpiece: the retired space shuttle Endeavour, sitting upright in launch position, towering at nearly 200 feet (61 meters) tall.
"It just takes your breath away when you see that reveal and the doors open and you get to look at it for the first time. It's just — it's overwhelming," former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman told Space.com during a visit to the museum. Reisman flew on two space shuttle missions during his astronaut career, the first of which was on Endeavour.
"There are people that come from all over the world, and when they come to Los Angeles, they're going to have the opportunity to see it, too," Reisman added. "The exposure it's going to have is just a force multiplier. There are so many people that can have that opportunity to bring their kids here and show them [the shuttle] and have that experience."
Entering into this exhibit is an experience in and of itself, as I can personally attest; I was among of group of reporters who got a sneak peek at the new wing on Oct. 28. A video presentation ends in a dramatic reveal: Visitors walk into a space where the enormous shuttle, which flew 25 missions to Earth orbit from 1992 to 2011, feels truly larger than life.
There are a number of interactive exhibits around the base of Endeavour, which you can slide down to (though, of course, you can also take the elevator or stairs). From a shuttle landing simulator to a replica of a shuttle cockpit that you can sit in, to shuttle tires and space tech from across decades of spaceflight history, there's an incredible variety of space artifacts to both observe and interact with.
As for Endeavour itself: It is open, so you can peer inside to see the robotic arm tucked away among a myriad of handles, straps and electronic gear inside. And you can see the shuttle from underneath all the way to the top.
You can lie on the floor underneath the shuttle's engines, for example, and then take an elevator up the launch tower to come face-to-face with Endeavour's nose. There's even a transparent floor at the top that allows you to stand above the shuttle (though if you have a fear of heights, this might not be for you).