Space shuttle Endeavour standing tall at California Science Center

EXPOSITION PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Space Shuttle Endeavour is now pointed toward the skies over Exposition Park in ready-to-launch position.

The space shuttle's final mission is now complete.

After a challenging six-month process, workers carefully lifted the shuttle into the construction site at the California Science Center this week, successfully mating it with its massive external tank and two rocket boosters.

"This is a really hard process. The space shuttle stack like this has never been put together outside of a NASA or Air Force facility," California Science Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rudolph said.

Crews battled winds and changing weather conditions during the process, and there is still plenty of work ahead.

Science Center officials admired the shuttle display under blue skies Friday afternoon, but it will soon be covered with protective fabric and workers will surround the site with scaffolding.

Then they'll build a roof above it and finish construction of the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

"We know it's going to motivate and inspire millions of kids for generations to come, and I think having this wonderful national treasure right here in South L.A. is really special," California Science Center senior vice president Alyson Goodall said. "It's going to have a lot of people thinking about how they can reach for the stars."

Endeavour flew 25 space missions. The orbiter has attracted around 20 million visitors since arriving in Los Angeles in 2012.

Excitement has been building over construction of the shuttle's new $400 million home at the California Science Center.

"We had this dream 30 years ago that we'd do this someday," Rudolph said. "I've seen it in Florida on the launch pad, and I've seen all the components, but to see it all together it really exceeds all of our expectations. This is phenomenal."