Max and Ethan were both able to witness something no short of spectacular on Friday. They joined thousands of other Angelenos in the thrilling view as space shuttle Endeavour flew overhead during its celebratory final flight en route to its retirement home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. It was truly a sight to behold and thus I’m recording the event so the boys can always remember being a part of it.

Piggybacked on a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, the spacecraft soared over Southern California with two F-18 jet escorts. Flybys included local piers, Santa Monica, Hollywood and downtown L.A. There were reports that two of the major LA freeways came to a standstill as drivers got out of their cars to watch the spacecraft make its final approach.

A little history about the Endeavour

The California-made shuttle was built as a replacement for Challenger. (We all know the sad story behind challenger. Watching that fateful launch was my first space-related memory, and I’m happy that the boys will hopefully remember this happier moment.)

According to the accounts that I’ve read, Endeavour completed 25 missions, including 12 to help build and outfit the space station, and logged nearly 123 million miles in flight during 4,671 orbits. The shuttle also flew the first mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope and made several trips to the International Space Station to provide cargo and equipment.

NASA retired Endeavour and the rest of its shuttle fleet last year after completing the U.S. portion of the $100 billion International Space Station which orbits 250 miles above Earth.

Endeavour will spend a few weeks in a LAX hangar while it undergoes preparations to be moved to the museum in downtown Los Angeles where it will be put on display starting October 30. Crews will be cutting down nearly 400 trees, raising overhead utility wires and temporarily removing hundreds of utility poles, street lights and traffic signals so that the shuttle can be moved through the city streets.

Come visit us next year and we’ll go visit the spacecraft in person!