Northrop Grumman originally delivered the two SRM s to the Mojave Air and Space Port in 2020, where they waited until they were needed for the science center's "Go for Stack" operation got underway. "It is a proud moment, and I'm glad that we could be a part of it." "It's an honor just being able to contribute to this exhibit the great history that the shuttle program had, and obviously, the great history that Northrop Grumman and before that Orbital ATK had - it's just as long a 30-year history that we supported the shuttle," Hurley told collectSPACE. (Image credit: California Science Center) on its way to Exposition Park, on Wednesday, Oct. The solid rocket motor convoy navigates the streets in L.A. Blvd., representing the company that originally built, serviced and ultimately donated the SRMs for flight and now their display. PDT, when they proceeded past a ceremonial "finish line" to the California Science Center about 15 minutes later.įormer NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, who flew on Endeavour and is now a senior director at Northrop Grumman, joined the festivities at Martin Luther King Jr. PDT, the convoy exited the freeway for surface streets, making their way to Figueroa, where the public had been directed to get their best view the SRMs driving along the route.Īs spectators cheered and took photos, the trucks paused at Figueroa and Martin Luther King Jr. EDT or 1000 GMT), the SRMs got underway again, taking the 605 southbound to I-105 westbound and then merging onto I-110 northbound. The SRMs spent much of Tuesday afternoon and part of the night parked along the shoulder of I-605 southbound to set up their daytime arrival at the California Science Center.Įarly Wednesday morning, beginning at 3 a.m. Now, they will be the first to stand up vertically in the science center's new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, serving as the pillars holding up the external tank and Endeavour when the stack debuts on public display in the coming few years.Īerial view of the space shuttle solid rocket motor convoy nearing Exposition Park (at left) with the downtown Los Angeles skyline at the right, on Wednesday, Oct. The SRMs form the largest part of the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) that during the space shuttle program fired in tandem with the orbiter's three main engines to produce the majority of the thrust needed to lift the vehicle off the launch pad. The last major parts needed to exhibit Endeavour in its vertical, ready-for-launch configuration, the two solid rocket motors (SRMs) completed a two-day, 100-mile (160 kilometers) trip from the Mojave Air and Space Port to the California Science Center on Wednesday (Oct. They may not be as iconic as Endeavour or as large as the orbiter's external tank, but the sight of twin rockets moving through the streets of Los Angeles was enough to once again draw a crowd to watch the space shuttle components being delivered to the site of their future display.
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