It seems like it was only a year ago that thousands of Angelenos held their collective breath as the tips of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's wings skimmed the buildings along Crenshaw Boulevard.
Wait. It was a year ago, or nearly, when the massive shuttle inched from the Los Angeles International Airport toward the California Science Center at Exposition Park, inched before the cheers of crowds who stayed up all night to take part in its epic, and epically inchy, 26th mission to its final home.
Which can only mean one thing: One giant first birthday party for one giant of space travel and future vision. How giant is this shindig? It's set to last for three days: Friday, Oct. 11 through Sunday, Oct. 13.
Yep, we all have to head to Endeavour's house for the party -- that's the specially built, space-shuttle-sized pavilion at the California Science Center -- and we'll be joined there by several special guest speakers. Astronauts will be among them, so plan on learning some new tidbits about one of the few vehicles to ever zoom above the earth.
Aside: Do you know the stats behind Endeavour practically by heart? They were repeated often in the media during its historic, city-street crawl. Quick, how many kilometers did it travel while in commission? That would be 197,761,262 of course. Easy.
"(E)xhibits, displays, and demonstrations" will also be a part of the first anniversary celebration at the Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion.
And, like all first birthday parties? This one is free. No admission. And, nope, Endeavour doesn't need a present from you. It itself is the present that keeps on giving to our city, starting with the wonder it stirred up during those inchy, slow-moving, completely awe-filled days last October.
