Space Shuttle Endeavour rocket motors 'ready to launch' at California Science Center

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Some massive pieces of NASA history were erected Thursday at the California Science Center - two solid rocket motors from the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which are now set up for display in the new exhibit at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

The $400 million project will double the science center's educational exhibit space by adding 100 authentic artifacts.
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This includes the Space Hab, a science lab onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour for astronauts to conduct science experiments during their missions. The main event, however, is the Endeavour itself. The spaceship once strolled down the streets of Los Angeles in 2012 after its final mission for NASA. It completed 25 missions in total.

On Thursday, the solid rocket motors were placed in their "ready for launch" position at the new building.

"They provide 80% of the power to get that thing from the Earth into Earth orbit, and so if those two things weren't there, they would never move anywhere," said Kenneth Phillips, the curator for aerospace science at the California Science Center.
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The motors are 116 feet tall and weigh more than 100,000 pounds each. The tank and the orbiter will be added in January.