September 27, 2012

Compiled By Brandon I. Brooks

Co-Managing Editor

 

Jeffrey N. Rudolph

President and CEO California Science Center; President Cali­fornia Science Center Foundation

Its a huge educational opportunity for our community and for the whole region and state.   For us its an incredible moment a dream come true.  We have been thinking about 20 years to get a space shuttle here and its really happening now.   As we build our Samuel Ocean Air & Space Center, were going to have a facility in South L.A. that will serve and inspire generations of children to become scientists, engineers and explorers. 

Ken Phillips

Curator for Aero­space Program

The children of this community particularly South Central Los Angeles, but children all over have been given a gift unlike anything they can imagine.  This is going to be an incredible teaching tool.  No matter who you are, somebody that looks like you flew on one of those orbiters and that’s because it was an international program where astronauts from other countries were invited to fly as guest of NASA, working with NASA doing meaningful work. And Endeavour was one of the orbiters that  built the international space station.  That’s all about collaboration among people, 15 member nations belong to that. Its an icon for what the best can be in humans.  How they work together and collaborate.   When kids see it fly over L.A. they will recognize I hope, that this is a priceless thing they’re seeing.  And then they can go see that very thing that just flew over their home or their school at the California Science Center.

I came to the California Science Center 22 years ago and 20 years ago we decided we wanted a space shuttle orbiter for all the reasons I mentioned, its so iconic.  Its been a wish list of ours.  President Bush announced the retirement of the fleet in 2004.  In 2008 NASA put a proposal out and a request for information was called.  We responded with a proposal we wanted to show.  Showed us as thoughtful.  Showed us as emphasizing education for the children.  Showed us as an institution that is free of charge, that is accessible to all people and that therefore removes barriers to access.  That was the argument we made and we felt that we could, and I still believe this, we feel we can create an incredibly compelling exhibits to go with this. 

William T. Harris

Senior Vice President, Devel­opment & Marketing; California Science Center Foundation

This is the culmination of a 20 year process for the California Science Center.  And our vision is we always imagined having an orbiter as part of our program about exciting the public about space exploration.  We have three flown capsules already, Mercury- Redstone 2, Gemini 11 and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. So we are very excited about this day, its very historic.  We actually will have the only Science Center in the world with a flown orbiter on exhibit. 

The street transport actually happens on October 12 and 13 and then it will actually open to the public on October 30.  We invite everyone to come out because we are doing a 6-day space festival that will run from October 30 through November 4.  Remember the Science Center is free we do not charge general admission. Because we expect huge demands we are going to offer a reservation for a minor convenience fee for your spot to see the Endeavour. 

Lori B. Garver

Deputy Administrator for NASA

Its a great day for NASA, for the American public, especially if you live here in Southern California.  The space shuttle has been critical to our space program and to NASA over the last 30 years and the fact that the last ferry flight on a 747 [was able to be seen] all over the L.A. area and will ultimately [end up] at the California Science Center, is a wonderful thing to give back to the American public. 

Mike Fincke

NASA Astronaut

I was on the last crew of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.  We landed June 2011 and we’re very happy that Endeavour our beautiful space shuttle is coming here to Los Angeles. Its going to inspire the next generation of explorers and bring the power of imagination to a city that thrives on imagination so its a perfect match. 

Marguerite LaMotte

Board Member - Representing Board District 1

I’m excited because it’s coming to district 1.  All of my schools are involved. We are doing a poster contest and an essay contest.  It’s exciting!

Mayor James Butts

Mayor of Inglewood

My involvement actually starts as a child, my father was an engineer that worked on a lot of aerospace projects, so I have always been fascinated by science and aviation.  But this represents another part of the victory lap of this monument to man’s mastery of technology as we get it to its final destination. It’s historic.  It’s the first vehicle to transport an African American female into outer space, it’s the last of the shuttle series, it’s part of the thing that binds generations.  The fact that this will on display here in southern California forever, will bind people that aren’t living yet with people that are here now. 

Garrett Reisman

American Engineer (SpaceX)

Former NASA Astronaut

In 2008 I flew my first mission and it was on Endeavour. Since then I flew for 95 days on the Space Station, came home on Discovery and had another mission on Atlantis. But Endeavour was first so she is the one that is most special.

John Mack

President Police Commission

I am particularly excited about the educational component it will provide for our youth, for African American youth, for Latino youth, the youth who are in the neighborhood. And it’s free, you can give a donation but its open to the community. I have a lot of respect for Jeff Rudolph and the leadership of the Science Center.

James Medley

Inspector with the Los Angeles City Fire Department 

This is exciting! It’s probably a once in a lifetime thing and I’m glad to be part of it.  [I was there] to make sure we had public safety. 

Curren D. Price

U.S. Senator, 26th District

For the city of Los Angeles it’s an exciting resource to have one of the shuttles designated here, it is truly monumental.  The fact that it’s going to be in Exposition Park at the California Science Center in our community is even a more of a plus.  Its means that young people, of all ages will be able to come up close and really be inspired to learn more to understand the unique role that space travel and space exploration has played and will play.  So I am excited about having a living laboratory here...

Sgt Keith Arnold

Airport Police

I enjoyed the day. It [was] busy and we wanted be able to see as much as [we could] but we were  focused on security. 

Brian Cummings

Fire Chief Los Angeles City Fire Department

Historically so much of the Aerospace industry has been located here in the Los Angeles area, so to have this as the final resting place for the Space Shuttle is phenomenal!

Steven Bradford

Assemblymember Representing 51 District

Well it’s coming through my district so I am excited to see it and its going through the City of Inglewood when it finally gets to the science center, its final resting place where its going to be on exhibit for all of California and the world to see. This is kind of like the end of an era when you talk about space shuttles and this was its last mission.  And a lot of folks have never seen this even though it was built just up the road in Palmdale, a lot of folks have not had an opportunity to be up close and personal and touch it and see it.  I would only wish there were more kids out here.  The future is science, technology and math and you cant do anything of this, what we are going to experience today with out those disciplines. 

ALL PHOTOS BY BRANDON I. BROOKS

 

 

 

Category: Community