Mission nearly complete.
After years of planning and construction, the California Science Center said Monday that construction is finally finished on a building set to become the permanent home of Space Shuttle Endeavour.
The Exposition Park museum broke ground on its $450 million project to build the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in June 2022 – a 200,000-square-foot expansion to nearly double the Science Center’s educational exhibit space.
In October 2025, President and CEO of the California Science Center Jeff Rudolph told NBCLA the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center was designed to house Space Shuttle Endeavour “in full launch position, with solid rocket boosters and external tanks.”
A new addition to the California Science Center will give visitors a one-of-a-kind view of the space shuttle. John Cádiz Klemack reports for the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2025.
The towering vertical display inspired by the shuttle’s shape will be one of a kind.
“[It will be] the only place in the world a full space shuttle stack is displayed, and it’s in this space, which provides unobstructed views of the whole thing,” Rudolph said. “It’s a 20-story-tall space with no columns, no walls, amazing views.”
Designed by ZGF Architects, the building features a curvilinear stainless-steel exterior, with its primary structure peaking at 200 feet. It’s now visible from several spots across LA.
ZGF partner Ted Hyman called the project the California Science Center’s “moonshot ambition,” and said the space will be “an approachable experience that feels welcoming, immersive, and engaging to all.”
Engineers moved space shuttle Endeavor’s external fuel tank through Exposition Park to the soon-to-be Air and Space Center after being on display at the California Science Center for a decade. Anastassia Olmos reports for the NBC4 News on Jan. 10, 2024.
With the building’s construction completed, the museum said it is now outfitting the facility with 100 historic aerospace artifacts integrated with 100 hands-on exhibits.
“This intensive phase of work will continue for several months before the California Science Center announces an opening date for the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center,” a press release stated.
The new building will feature three multi-level galleries – the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery – each designed to encourage guests of all ages “to investigate scientific and engineering principles of atmospheric flight and the exploration of the universe.”
The California Science Center is preparing to move the Space Shuttle Endeavor to a vertical position.
“This amazing project significantly expands our ability to accomplish our mission, to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone, on a scale and with an impact unlike anything in our history. It is the culmination of our ambitious three-decade master plan,” Rudolph said in a press release Monday.
“The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will stand as an enduring source of inspiration for generations of scientists, engineers and explorers – and we cannot wait to share it with the world,” he continued.
Space Shuttle Endeavour successfully completed 25 space missions, including the first service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.
It first launched on May 7, 1992, for mission STS-49, which was completed through a series of four spacewalks. Its final mission into space was in May 2011 when it delivered spare parts to the International Space Station.
