Space Shuttle Endeavour Arrives at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center
NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with space shuttle Endeavour mounted atop arrived Sept. 20 at the agency’s Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Following an overnight stay, the SCA and Endeavour will salute the Edwards Air Force Base area early Friday, Sept. 21 with a low flyby northbound to Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area. Next the aircraft will travel south, making a pass over NASA’s Ames Research Center, Vandenberg Air Force Base and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory before heading into the Los Angeles area.
Finally, the SCA and Endeavour will land about noon PDT at Los Angeles International Airport, for an arrival ceremony before Endeavour is taken off the SCA and transported to its permanent home at the California Science Center next month.
Actually, the plane is 20 years older than the orbiter she's carrying. The 747 was built in 1970. This orbiter was built in the late 80s through the early 90s.
The orbiter is bolted to three supports atop the 747, which are supported by beefed-up structures inside the jet. Pretty amazing feat of engineering, especially when you see how simple it is inside!