Endeavour's Final Flight

It really does seem, to me anyway, that all the cool stuff *does* happen in California.

On the same day I got to meet Elmo.. I saw this awesome sight.

The final flight of any space shuttle in NASA's fleet. Endeavour carried over La Canada-Flintridge, home of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory that's been in the news so much for landing the latest rover on Mars. Prior to the 747 banking around that power pole you see at the beginning I shot some stills. The fighter jets escorting the piggy-backed tandem even set off somebody's car alarm.

This was part of the shuttle's tour of the Los Angeles area. It's actually a sort of homecoming for Endeavour, as it was built out in the nearby Antelope Valley. Its eventual home will be at the California Science Center in Los Angeles' Expedition Park neighborhood. After landing at LAX today it will be removed from the plane, placed in a shuttle where the aerodynamic done will be removed and replaced by the usual rocket boosters you see on the backs of shuttles, and towed through the streets of L.A. to the museum. That leg of its journey will happen next month.. and I do hope to catch some of that one, too.

 
Update: Ellie did see the shuttle as it flew over her school. When she came home I asked her if she saw the big airplane fly over Pasadena. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, it wasn't an airplane, it was a space ship". I guess we are both right. Apparently they also talked about the purpose of the shuttle and how it went out into outer space.

And here is a picture of Nick and Elmo, yes he really met the little red fuzzy guy.