It's not exactly Moorpark, but Friday's Space Shuttle Endeavour flight over Los Angeles offers a not-too-far-away, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the shuttle in its final moments of flight. Attached to a modified Boeing 747, Endeavour will fly over multiple Los Angeles landmarks before touching down at LAX.
According to the California Science Center, Endeavour will dip to 1,500 feet to give the public a better view of the shuttle as it passes over famous landmarks in the Southland, including the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles City Hall, the Getty Center, the Queen Mary, Malibu and the Griffith Observatory.
The science center said that the public can expect to see the shuttle in Los Angeles air space starting around 10:30 a.m., weather pending.
Escorted by F-16 aircraft, the shuttle is then expected to land between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on one of Los Angeles International Airport's south runways, airport officials told Patch on Tuesday.
For those who wish to see Endeavour land at LAX, the El Segundo Police Department said it will designate the 300 to 600 blocks of East Imperial Avenue in El Segundo as public viewing space.
Police also said the public can view the shuttle landing from the 700 block of West Imperial Avenue and the "greenbelt," located at the intersection of Imperial Avenue and California Street in El Segundo.
- Where do you plan to watch Space Shuttle Endeavour fly over Los Angeles? Tell us in the comments!
The Los Angeles Police Department said it is urging motorists to remain focused while driving Friday morning as the shuttle flies around Los Angeles.
"This is an impressive sight that has the potential for distracting drivers and pedestrians," LAPD said in a release. "Law enforcement and transportation officials want to remind motorists and visitors not to stop on the roads or highways in order to view or take photographs of the shuttle fly over."
After completing 25 missions and traveling 122,883,151 miles in space, Friday's historic flight will mark the last time Endeavour, or any of NASA's shuttles, will ever fly through the air.
Once it lands, Endeavour will have just 12 more miles to travel as it is slowly driven through city streets to the California Science Center starting on October 12. At that time, the public will have its second chance at witnessing history.
"This will mark the first, last and only time a space shuttle will travel through 12 miles of urban, public streets," said California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph last month. "It’s not only one of the biggest objects ever transported down city streets; it’s an irreplaceable national treasure."
Space Shuttle Endeavour Fly Over Locations
According to the FAA and the California Science Center, the following Los Angeles landmarks will see a fly over by Space Shuttle Endeavour if conditions permit. For viewing locations and parking information, the science center recommends the public contact each venue for specific details.
- California Science Center
- Los Angeles City Hall
- Disneyland
- The Getty Center
- Griffith Observatory
- Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific
- Malibu
- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena)
- Queen Mary
- Universal Studios
- Venice Beach
- Santa Monica Pier
- Boeing Plant (Seal Beach)
- Space X (Hawthorne)
