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**tedly** · February 24, 2019, 11:32 AM

**Loren** · February 24, 2019, 10:26 PM

Seems I needed a particular tool -now- (larger rotary table for the mill than what I have), I found a good used one on CraigsList in the San Fernando Valley. Was a nice chance to make a Sunday drive and drop by the California Science Center and see the space shuttle Endeavor's new home which Gail has been wanting to see for some time. She had never seen a shuttle close up; below is her phone photo. Hauling this from LAX through the streets to this site was an event on it's own, well documented at the exhibit.

A museum docent had actual samples of the famous (infamous?) heat-shield tiles we could hold in our hands, as well as the wing leading edge protection which seemed about four times as heavy for the sq. in. as the light tiles.

In years past I had seen the original Enterprise out in the desert at Edwards AFB and watched the Challenger land there also, very cool to look at those aircraft and imagine where they've been and all the tech and mfg prowess involved. A shame shuttles no longer operate but, what a bunch of weight to be sending up into space only to have to return it intact, not the most efficient deal as it turned out. There was a large sample of the external tank material also which was needed to help hoist all that weight, made of aluminum-alloy plate about an inch thick milled into a weight-saving waffle pattern, very expensive-looking and in that case lost into the ocean at each launch.

The museum also has original Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules on display, entry free, then seeing the shuttle was a whole $3 which is amazing considering the amount of money which must have been spent to put all that stuff there. An interesting day.