On Friday, about 800 schoolchildren gathered for the grand opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to marvel at the Endeavour spaceship and explore new exhibits featuring space capsules, Mars rovers, and spacesuits, including one from the Apollo era. They were greeted by astronauts in blue space suits, eager to recount their time in space.
Among them was astronaut-turned-U.S. senator Mark Kelly, for whom Endeavour holds sentimental significance. A veteran of four spaceflights, Kelly flew aboard the spacecraft twice. His first mission came just months after the September 11 attacks.
“We launched in December, right after this horrible tragedy. The spaceship was actually born out of a tragedy: Challenger. This is the replacement for Challenger,” the Arizona Democrat said in an interview.
His second flight aboard Endeavour was equally memorable. While Kelly was in space, his wife, then- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was recovering in the hospital after surviving an assassination attempt. “She was still in the hospital when I was in space,” Kelly recalled. He commanded Endeavour’s final mission. In his Senate office, his spacesuit is on proud display.
The space shuttle Endeavour in its launch position is the centerpiece of the newly-opened Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center in Los Angeles CA.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Kelly hopes the spacecraft will inspire children for generations to come. He describes Endeavour as “the most complicated thing humans have ever built,” hoping to spark interest in math and engineering. “A little kid is gonna say, ‘Wow! People built that, and it went into space. Boy, if people could do that, maybe I can do anything,’ ” Kelly said. “It’s going to motivate children from all over our country to do some hard stuff. So you can’t really put a price tag on this.”
Bringing the gift of Endeavour to L.A. also served as inspiration to Lynda Oschin. When she first saw the 200-foot-tall spacecraft standing upright in its launch position, she was moved to tears. “I just couldn’t believe it,” said Oschin, the wife of the late Samuel Oschin, for whom the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is named.
When Endeavour was transported from Houston to California, Oschin requested that a photograph of her husband be placed in the commander’s seat. Former NASA head Charles Bolden honored her request. The photograph remains in the cockpit. “It’s there, and it’s framed now, and it’s in there forever,” Oschin said.
For Oschin, the spacecraft represents the memory of her late husband — a devoted patron of math, science and exploration. Today, Endeavour, in launch configuration at the Oschin space center, gives hundreds of children a glimpse of what is possible, Oschin said.
The grand opening and Endeavour reveal began with speeches by Sen. Alex Padilla of California and as well as Sen. Kelly, along with other champions of the exhibit.
“Today is about dreams,” said Jeffrey N. Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center. “Now, Endeavour is in its permanent home.”
Students gather at the entrance to the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center during the ribbon cutting by dignitaries to officially open the museum on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Oschin also took the stage. “This is an incredibly special day,” she said. “It’s all about the children, future, curiosity and knowledge.”
In her speech, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) echoed that message, thanking “all the dreamers, believers, scientists, engineers, scholars, astronauts who had a vision about going to space, and then finding a way to actualize it right here in South Los Angeles.”
She also recalled the extraordinary effort required to bring Endeavour to the museum that began 14 years ago, including the night the spacecraft became stuck on Crenshaw Boulevard during its journey through Los Angeles.
“It was like a party in the streets,” Kamalager-Dove said. “People came from the Valley, Watts, Wilmington, Long Beach — from all over to see this majestic, magical thing that had parked in the middle of a street.”
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, hundreds of schoolchildren were greeted by astronauts offering high-fives. The children shrieked with excitement as they entered the museum, where the spacecraft awaited them.
Endeavour astronauts high-five and greet students on opening day of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Among the smiling astronauts present was Tom Marshburn, who has spent 330 days in space over the course of his career, including a mission aboard Endeavour. “It’s life-changing. At times, I can’t believe I was there,” Marshburn said of his space travel.
Despite the inherent romance of space travel, the experience is incredibly demanding. “It’s very intense because you’re so busy with so much work to do,” Marshburn said. Still, he found moments to appreciate the experience. “We’re both trying to enjoy the zero gravity, the Earth, the real world. Being there with other people is the most important thing.”
The astronaut hopes Endeavour will continue to inspire children for years to come. “I hope they get a feeling of what human beings can achieve,” he said. “This is the most complex thing ever built by humans, and it has been in space and has come back 25 times.”
Astronaut Julie Payette, who flew aboard Endeavour on her second mission, believes the spacecraft’s influence extends far beyond aspiring astronauts and space enthusiasts.
“We encourage young kids to dare to dream. The dream doesn’t need to be the same as mine or yours,” she said. “This particular exhibit is a testimony to what you can achieve in this field. But it is inspiring for everybody. Everybody loves space.”
She said the most rewarding aspect of being an astronaut is the camaraderie. Born in Canada, Payette has spent her life in Houston at the NASA headquarters. “We don’t actually see the differences in skin color, nationality or the language you spoke when you were a kid,” she said. “We all work together; our survival depends on us working as a team.”
The Endeavour, hovering above hundreds of students, left a memorable impression. Areli Castillo, a 10-year-old who attends Grove Center, said the exhibit has encouraged her to learn more about astronauts. “The spaceship is my favorite part.”
School children reach for switches and buttons on a mockup of the space shuttle Endeavour cockpit during the opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Emmanuel Montenegro, a 17-year-old who attends Covina High School, also admired the spaceship. “It’s just so intricately designed and so beautiful,” he said. The student joked that he initially thought the museum visit would simply be a fun excuse to miss class. Instead, he left with a newfound appreciation for astronomy. “Now I want to come here again,” he said. “It interests me.”
Later, television producer Chuck Lorre and “Young Sheldon” star Iain Armitage made the first descent on the shuttle descent slide — a 45-foot drop that represents the shuttle’s descent and landing. Armitage’s appearance sparked a wave of excitement among the crowd, with students cheering and lining up for selfies with the young actor.
At the bottom of the slide, Lorre explained his awe of the spacecraft. “It’s something that’s going to change lives,” he said, gazing upward. “You don’t get happier than getting to be part of this.”
United States Sen. Mark Kelly takes a ride down the Shuttle Descent Slide that simulates the path of the vehicle returning to Earth as a glider.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Armitage was similarly dazzled by the exhibit, explaining that his father was a fan of science fiction films. “Growing up, we would talk about the stars and planets. I’ve always wanted to go, so it’s so cool to get close to that dream by being somewhere like this.”
“The emotional experience you have getting to see the Endeavour in person is insane,” he said. “It’s such a culmination of all these incredible, brilliant minds thinking so technically that it comes together. It makes things so beautiful and so human.”
Times staff writer Laura Zornosa contributed to this report.