Space Shuttle "Endeavour" In Inglewood

Text and Photos by Armand Vaquer

Above, my first view of Endeavour on Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My alarm was set for 2:50 AM, but I woke up about seven minutes before.

I decided to make the trek down to Inglewood, California (about 25 miles away) to view the Space Shuttle Endeavour on Manchester Blvd. as it is being hauled to the California Science Center.

Above, Endeavour is still an impresive sight!  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is scheduled to be at a viewing area at the Forum's parking lot at 8:00 this morning, but I heard one of the police in Inglewood say that it is two hours behind schedule.  Endeavour is supposed to arrive at the California Science Center tonight (good luck!).

Above, the crew section of Endeavour.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I got down to Inglewood and found that it was nowhere near the Forum.  I located it about 2-3 miles west on Manchester.  I found a parking space (surprisingly fast) in front of Inglewood High School.  Endeavour was about three short blocks west.

Above, the starboard wing.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After parking, I walked down Manchester and found that a lot of other people had the same idea.  There were several hundred people there, but they were all orderly and were enjoying seeing a spaceship on a city street.  Several news vans were also there covering the event.

Above, hundreds of thermal tiles under the starboard wing.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The shuttle was stopped in the street.  I saw it move only once during the time I was there.  On average, according to news reports, it is supposed to move at about two miles per hour.  It may have been stopped as crews were working to get some power lines out of the way.

Above, the tail section and engines.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was able to get right up close to it.  I stood virtually under its starboard side wing tip.  The rocket engines on Endeavour are dummy ones.  The real ones were removed earlier.  It looks space-worthy yet.

Above, Endeavour drew a good crowd at 3:30 in the morning.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is amazing seeing an object about the size of a Boeing 737 being towed through city streets for sixteen miles.  It is truly one of those "once in a lifetime" kind of events.

I'm glad I went!

Endeavor Arrives In Los Angeles Tomorrow

by Armand Vaquer

Photo: Nasa

Tomorrow's the day when space shuttle Endeavor lands at Los Angeles International Airport.

After a tour of the Bay Area and Sacramento, the shuttle will enter Los Angeles airspace at around 10:30 tomorrow morning.

This link will provide the flyover spots of Endeavor (atop a modified Boeing 747) for best viewing.  As it will fly over Griffith Park Observatory and Universal City, I will remain in the Burbank Hills after work with my camera to get an excellent hilltop view.

The Space Shuttle Program: In The Beginning

by Armand Vaquer

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the flying brick Enterprise...

Above, Armand with the shuttle prototype "Enterprise."

The winding down of the U.S. Space Shuttle program caused me to look back at the beginnings of the program back in the 1970s.

I've always been a fan of the U.S. Space Program, beginning with Project Mercury. It has been my contention that the space program is the only worthwhile U.S. government program.

In the beginning, the shuttle program started out at the NASA's Dryden test center at Edwards Air Force Base out in the Mojave Desert.

In 1977, a friend of mine, Mitch Geriminsky was in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Edwards. Talk about being at the right place and at the right time! One weekend, I paid a visit and Mitch took me over to the space shuttle facilities at Edwards.

Luckily for me, I had my camera with me when we visited the shuttle facilities. The photographs are in black & white as I had a black & white darkroom at home where I developed and printed photographs.

First off, we viewed the modified Boeing 747 used to piggy-back the shuttle prototype, Enterprise.

Above, the modified Boeing 747. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Enterprise was so-named as fans of Star Trek petitioned NASA to name it after the television show's starship. Actually, they should have waited a bit so that a space-worthy shuttle would carry the Enterprise name. The prototype was never intended for space flights and it was just used for gliding tests. The 747 would carry it aloft and release it and it would glide for landings on Rogers Dry Lake.

Above, shuttle prototype "Enterprise." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first space-worthy shuttle, Columbia, was under construction. Its maiden flight was in 1981.

After viewing the 747, we went over to the main shuttle hangar and went inside. There, in the hangar, was Enterprise.

Above, Mitch and Armand with "Enterprise."

It was fascinating to see up close the Enterprise and the 747. I was able to attend two shuttle landings when the shuttles became operational: Columbia in July 1982 and Endeavour in May 1992.