On Friday, November 13, 2026, the California Science Center in Los Angeles will open the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, featuring the space shuttle Endeavour in a vertical, launch-pad-like display. The 184-foot-tall stack-comprising the orbiter, an external tank, and twin solid rocket boosters-is believed to be the tallest indoor museum exhibit in the world.
The stacking operation, which took four years to complete, was accomplished outside a NASA facility-an achievement many considered impossible. “It has been more than 30 years since we first dreamed of putting a shuttle in the launch position,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, president and CEO of the science center. “It is better than we ever thought it was going to be.” Dennis Jenkins, the project director and a former shuttle engineer, noted, “We weren’t sure that it could be done anywhere other than at a NASA specialized facility. Once we figured out how to do it, it worked well.”
Visitors will enter the exhibit through a theater where a video shows Endeavour’s final launch. As the room fills with fog, a wall drops away to reveal the actual vehicle just feet away. Multiple viewing levels, a glass elevator ascending a gantry, and a transparent walkway on the top level will provide unique perspectives. With one payload bay door open, guests can see equipment configured as it was for a mission to the International Space Station.
“The views in this place are incredible,” Jenkins said. “If you’re a space geek, it’s unbelievable-like nothing we ever got, even at Kennedy.”
Lynda Oschin, whose family foundation made the lead donation in honor of her late husband, said a framed photograph of Sam Oschin is placed on Endeavour’s flight deck. “I can’t wait to see the expressions and all of the happy tears,” she added. "Sam’s picture is in the shuttle now and it is always going to be there. That really is extra special for me.”