The “hard mate” may happen as early as Tuesday evening, but it could take a couple of days, Rudolph said. The giant orange tube is the last such tank in existence. The second part will be the “capture” - the process of attaching Endeavour to the 15-story external fuel tank dubbed ET-94. The first part of the move, which began Monday night and finished Tuesday morning, was known as the “soft mate” and consists of the orbiter’s hoisting and lowering near the external fuel tank and rockets. Read more: Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange external tank begins final journey “Once the crane gets the orbiter within about 4 inches of where it needs to be, will take over lowering the rest of the way with micro-inch capability,” Clark said. Workers and engineers tossed electric cables and ropes from scaffolding as the final few feet of movement were handled by a hydraulic Hydra-Set mounted control box operator. “Here, you can get a feel of the scale, when you’re standing right here next to the external tank and rockets.”Ĭrew members watch as the space shuttle Endeavour is placed into position at the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center. “People always said it was either much bigger or much smaller than expected, and it’s because in previous viewings, it was right on top of you,” Reisman said. “Fortunately, we only have to do this once.”Ī professor of astronautics practice at USC, Reisman said the stacked formation offers a true vantage point of the orbiter. “They really had to thread the needle,” said Reisman, who flew on three space shuttles, including Endeavour on his first mission in 2008. Read more: Mission accomplished: Space shuttle Endeavour's giant orange fuel tank moved into viewing spot in L.A. Endeavour was then turned 17 degrees clockwise to provide adequate clearance for its 78-foot wingspan before being carefully lowered, according to Larry Clark, a retired space shuttle engineer who worked 44 years at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Įndeavour’s slow descent was "terrifying" for astronaut Garrett Reisman, who pointed at the far tip of the rudder as it came within 20 feet of the second-level platform. The shuttle's nose was raised 200 feet into the night sky so that the rudder could clear 80 feet of space. Space Shuttle Endeavour is inside the Oschin Center and continues to be lowered down.