There is a historic event happening tomorrow in Los Angeles which we felt would be worth mentioning.  If you’re wondering why we’re so excited about a space shuttle arrival in Southern California,  here is a little history regarding the Ransom-McKenzie connection to the Space Shuttle programs.

When the Space Shuttle program started in the early 80’s, Connie and Roger, along with Rogers’s older brother David, raced out to Edwards AFB in the middle of the night to witness the early morning landing of the first shuttle sent to explore space by NASA.  That was April 14, 1981 and the shuttle was Columbia. A moment in history celebrating the first test flight of what was , at the time, the most complex spacecraft ever built.

STS-1 or Columbia as it was later named, landed on a dry lake just outside of Edwards AFB.

Columbia’s flight was the first of many shuttle excursions into space.  Some successful, some tragic.  In fact, the Columbia Shuttle met a tragic end in 2003 as she disintegrated during re-entry on her 28th mission.

With NASA’s change in direction, and the retirement of the Shuttle program, the next stops for these amazing ships are museums.  Here in Southern California we are fortunate to have the shuttle Endeavour arriving for exhibit at the California Science Center. Endeavour is actually the “youngest” of the Space Shuttle ships.  Her new, temporary, home will be the Samuel Oschin Pavilion which opens October 30th.  Eventually Endeavour will be the centerpiece of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center which will be  a new wing at the museum.

Endeavour will be arriving on the back of a 747 Friday morning.

The Science Center is very excited about the arrival of the Endeavour Shuttle.  “Space shuttle Endeavour is now on her way home to California! Flying across the country on the back of a specially modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Endeavour will arrive at LAX (weather permitting) on Friday, September 21, 2012 .

Around 10:30 am on Friday, or shortly after, watch for flyovers of Endeavour in the Los Angeles area. There will be opportunities to see Endeavour passing regional landmarks such as, its future home at the 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 in Pasadena, Queen Mary, Universal Studios and Venice Beach, among others.”

If you have time, it might be worth a drive into LA. The final chapter of NASA’s Space Shuttle programs.