Moving the Space Shuttle Endeavour from its temporary home at the Los Angeles International Airport to its final resting place at the California Science Center was anything but a simple task. Though the distance was but a mere 12 miles, the shuttle's 78-foot wingspan, 122-foot length and 57-foot height cause major clearance issues.
Plus, including its support mechanism, the Endeavour package weight in at 292,000 pounds, which meant almost 2,700 steel plates had to be affixed to the road surface to support the payload. And through one portion of its travel over the 405 Freeway, the shuttle was towed by a Toyota Tundra pickup truck.
All of these challenges made moving Endeavour a logistical nightmare, and it arrived several hours later than planned. But arrive it did, in one piece with no damage, and we're lucky that its move was followed by so many camera-wielding spectators that the Los Angeles Times was able to piece together an awe-inspiring time-lapse video. See for yourself below.
Plus, including its support mechanism, the Endeavour package weight in at 292,000 pounds, which meant almost 2,700 steel plates had to be affixed to the road surface to support the payload. And through one portion of its travel over the 405 Freeway, the shuttle was towed by a Toyota Tundra pickup truck.
All of these challenges made moving Endeavour a logistical nightmare, and it arrived several hours later than planned. But arrive it did, in one piece with no damage, and we're lucky that its move was followed by so many camera-wielding spectators that the Los Angeles Times was able to piece together an awe-inspiring time-lapse video. See for yourself below.
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