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Narrator: In May of 2011, the space shuttle Endeavour touched down at the Kennedy Space Center concluding
its twenty-fifth trip into space.
Since then, the orbiter has been undergoing preparations for public display at a California museum.
From STS-49 in May of 1992 until STS-134 19 years later, Endeavour's crews completed 25 missions,
flying more than 122 million miles, totaling 299 days in orbit.
During Endeavour's final flight, the astronaut crew delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
to the International Space Station.
The device is now used to search for unusual matter in space by measuring cosmic rays.
Since Endeavour's return to Kennedy in June of 2011, work has been ongoing to prepare the spacecraft for
display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
One of the final steps in preparation took place on August 10th in Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility
when final closeouts of the shuttle were completed.
Appropriately, the last person out of Endeavour was Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana.
A former astronaut, he commanded Endeavour on one of the most crucial missions
of the shuttle's 30-year history.
During that flight in 1998, the first American-built element was delivered to the International Space Station.
Once out of the shuttle, Cabana joined United Space Alliance technicians in sealing Endeavour's hatch
for the final time.
Less than a week later, Endeavour backed out of its processing hangar and headed to the Vehicle Assembly
Building, swapping places with sister spaceship, Atlantis.
On August 16th, Endeavour left the Orbiter Processing Facility and Atlantis was moved
out of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Along the way, both shuttles stopped for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity.
Scores of Kennedy employees and news media were on hand to take pictures during the activity.
Endeavour now is ready for a September 17th ferry flight. Once on display at the California Science Center,
it will represent the shuttle program's legacy and inspire future generations of space explorers.
The schedule calls for Endeavour to be mounted atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft,
a specially modified Boeing 747, for the September 17th ferry flight across the country
to its new home in Los Angeles.
In the meantime, work will continue to prepare the shuttle Atlantis for its move later this year
to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex where it, too, will be on display for years to come.