Space.. the Final Frontier

The Space Shuttle Endeavour

We saw the Space Shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad in April 2011 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was preparing for STS-134, it's final mission, which was also the second to last mission of the entire Space Shuttle program. A memorable point in space history.

A year later, on Sept 21, 2012, Matthew witnessed the Endeavor flying through the Bay Area as it  headed to it's final resting place in Los Angeles.

Matthew took this on the USS Hornet in Alameda as the Endeavour flew overhead.

At the museum, they showed a film of the whole process of it's arrival to California.

It literally traveled through the streets of the city.

Two years later, we visited the Endeavour at it's new home, the California Science Museum in Los Angeles. It is an amazing exhibit.

Matthew was very moved so I asked him to convey his thoughts to you.

The moment I walked in to the hanger I was in awe. This was a piece of history I was staring at. A spacecraft that I had seen in person several times in the past, but only from afar. And here it was, right in front of me.

The California Science Museum did an excellent job displaying the Space Shuttle Endeavor (especially for a temporary exhibit while the permanent air & space center is being built). The shuttle is very well lit, both from above and below. Access to the shuttle is very generous - the spacecraft is supported in mid air, allowing viewers to walk below any portion of the shuttle. These display features let you really see the shuttle up close, to see details that are almost never seen in photos or on TV.

As I walked towards the shuttle, I took note of all the different textures on the fuselage. The smooth white surfaces are not actually smooth - I could see panels of heat insulation added at key locations. Underneath the wing, I could not only see the individual heat tiles, I could even read the serial numbers on them. The serial numbers told the technicians exactly where the tile is located on the shuttle. The darker tiles were the newer ones that were replacements, while the lighter color ones were the original tiles. There were also many tiles that were gouged or scratched. One of them even to the point where an entire corner was chipped off and I could see the layer underneath. Failure of these heat tiles is very dangerous. This was the main cause of the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia upon reentry in 2003, killing all 7 crew members.

Seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavour was a very moving experience for me. It made me think of the incredible amount of technical expertise that went into designing and building this spacecraft. The smartest people in the entire world put countless man hours into the space shuttle. They did it with one purpose in mind: to bring man into space and return home safely. Every component on the space shuttle is designed with this objective. There is not a single element that was put there for aesthetics. Everything has a purpose. Can you name any one of designers? I can not. These men and women are the unsung heroes of mankind. They do not receive any of the glory that comes from designing something significant and worthwhile. I hope they received a lot of satisfaction with each successful mission. To the men and women of the space shuttle program, I salute you. Thank you for your pioneering spirit, to use your God given talents and abilities to build the greatest spacecraft in history.

Did that sign really say "do not touch?" Oops!

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