The space shuttle Endeavour's hatch will be opened by NASA technicians one last time this week, in part to retrieve thousands of souvenir patches and a photo the retired orbiter's final flown cargo.

Endeavour, which is now temporarily parked in a United Airlines hangar at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), is being prepared for its delivery to the California Science Center (CSC) for display. The shuttle, piggybacking atop a NASA jumbo jet, landed at LAX on Friday (Sept. 21) after a three-day cross-country ferry flight and four-hour flyover of the Golden State.

Just a few days before Endeavour left NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the final time, the space agency fulfilled a request by the CSC and stowed a care package on the shuttle's mid-deck inside its crew compartment. Stored in a locker, the pouch was flown with the orbiter on its recent ferry flight, which marked the last time a space shuttle ever took to the air.

Over the course of its 25 missions to space, Endeavour flew numerous significant payloads, including equipment to service and upgrade the Hubble Telescope, Spacelab and Spacehab modules, and the components to assemble the International Space Station. [Photos: Shuttle Endeavour's California Sightseeing Tour]

Endeavour's final cargo, carried on what the CSC dubbed "Mission 26: The Big Endeavour," may be more memento than mission-critical, but it still served a purpose: to say thank you.

25:123:12

The California Science Center flew 5,000 woven patches aboard Endeavour featuring a design that celebrated both of the modes of transport responsible for delivering the shuttle to its new display pavilion.

The 4.5-inch wide (11.4 centimeters) colorful badges depict Endeavour soaring on top of NASA's modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) and riding the self-propelled overland transporter that will take it on its road trip to the CSC. Endeavour is set to depart LAX and travel through Inglewood and Los Angeles city streets on Oct. 12-13 as the final leg of "Mission 26."

The numbers "25:123:12" are inscribed along the top of the patches. The "25" is for Endeavour's 25 missions to space and the "123" represents the 123 million miles (198 million kilometers) the orbiter traveled in flight. The "12" refers to the number of miles the shuttle will travel on the road to the science center.

While black-bordered versions of the patches are already for sale in the CSC's gift shop, the flown patches which are set apart by their gold thread border will not be sold. Instead, say science center officials, they will be given to those who made "Mission 26" possible: team members who worked on the ferry flight and the upcoming overland transport, as well as the center's donors who helped fund Endeavour's temporary and permanent exhibits.

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Space Shuttle Endeavour Made Final Flight Packed with Souvenir Patches

BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

American Semiconductor, Inc. today announced the first space flight FleX Silicon-on-Polymer by Team RockSat, a crew of engineering students from Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in Nampa, Idaho. The NNU RockSat team designed a project to test the effects of radiation on flexible integrated circuits using American Semiconductors FleX process.

The June 21 launch of NASAs 35-foot-tall Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket heralded the first space demonstration of flexible ICs. NNUs RockSat-C experiment included a FleX IC with direct write interconnects in parallel with a traditionally packaged IC for control. Both ICs were fully functional after the 20G launch that propelled the rocket 73 miles into space and subsequent recovery of the rocket from the Atlantic Ocean.

American Semiconductor supported Team RockSats six engineering students in designing and implementing their experiment. The students worked at the NNU campus in Nampa, ID, American Semiconductors R&D facility in Boise, ID, and NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. After the rocket was recovered Team RockSat showed the FleX IC functioned through the flight with no upset due to radiation effects.

American Semiconductor is proud to sponsor NNU and their innovative engineering program, said Doug Hackler, President and CEO of American Semiconductor. We are committed to supporting engineering and manufacturing capability in the United States and especially in Idaho. We are happy to see NNUs engineering program engage students and industry to produce valuable research.

FleX can be applied to almost any SOI wafer from any IDM or foundry to economically create flexible ICs, said Rich Chaney, General Manager of American Semiconductor. FleX is compatible with printed electronics to create flexible hybrid systems that enable new innovation in many applications including conformal and structurally integrated antennas, structural health monitoring for automotive and aerospace, and flexible consumer electronics.

American Semiconductor, Inc. provides FleX technology as a standard process offering for both commercial and ITAR customer requirements.

American Semiconductor, Inc. is the industry leader in single crystal flexible ICs. As an on-shore, ITAR compliant, pure-play U.S. foundry, American Semiconductor provides services for all aspects of wafer fabrication and process development. Services include process development and process transfer engineering; design engineering including design, verification, layout, and test; and FleX Silicon-on-Polymer technology for flexible CMOS.

American Semiconductor Inc., the American Semiconductor logo, FleX, Silicon-on-Polymer, are trademarks of American Semiconductor, Inc.

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FleX Silicon-on-Polymer Flies in NASA Rocket

An unmanned European cargo ship the size of a double-decker bus undocked from the International Space Station Friday (Sept. 28), ending a six-month delivery flight to the orbiting lab.

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Huge X-Wing-Like Cargo Ship Undocks from Space Station

Studying how Candida albicans responds to the microgravity of space flight aboard the International Space Station is the subject of a new investigation destined to launch in early October 2012.

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Yeast Studies in Microgravity Raising New Treatment Potential For Infections on Earth

The U.S. Postal Service kicks off National Stamp Collecting Month in October by issuing "Earthscapes" Forever stamps at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Earthscapes" depict America's diverse landscapes in perspectives from several hundred feet to several hundred miles above the ground, from photos taken from ultra-light planes to data obtained by Earth-orbiting satellites.

What: First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony for the Earthscapes Forever stamps. The event is free and open to the public.

When: Mon., Oct. 1, 2012, 10:30 a.m. EDT

Where: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Visitor Center 8800 Greenbelt Rd., Greenbelt, Md. 20771

Two of the stamp images -- Volcanic crater and Center-pivot irrigation -- were taken by the NASA/U.S. Geological Survey Landsat 7 satellite. The Landsat program celebrates 40 years of observing the Earth this year as Goddard prepares to launch the next satellite in the Landsat series, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). For nearly 50 years, Goddard has been at the forefront of looking at Earth from the vantage point of space. During this unique dedication ceremony, NASA scientists join the U.S. Postal Service in celebrating "Earthscapes" stamps and will discuss why viewing our Earth from above is so valuable for understanding our ever-changing home planet.

Joining NASA and the U.S. Postal Service is Alexandria, Va., photographer Cameron Davidson, who will tell his story of creating the Inland marsh stamp image by photographing the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland's eastern shore near Cambridge, Md.

NASA uses a fleet of satellites to study the Earth and to better understand the changing climate, its interaction with life, and how human activities affect the environment. Through partnerships with national and international agencies, NASA enables the application of this understanding for the well being of society.

To preview the Earthscapes stamps visit: http://beyondtheperf.com/stamp-releases/earthscapes

For more information about the Landsat program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/landsat

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NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Invites Media to Attend First-Issue Ceremony of 'Earthscapes' Forever Stamps

Posted on: 5:09 pm, September 26, 2012, by David Kumbroch, updated on: 05:49pm, September 26, 2012

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) The Marshall Space Flight Center finds itself under new leadership again.

New Director Patrick Scheuermann faced the media and the microphones, giving him a chance to speak about himself.

Scheuermann says, I am a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Ive been a Marshall Space Flight Center employee before as a Chief Operating Officer running the Michoud Assembly Facility.

In fact, Marshall made it through turbulent times with Scheuermanns help.

He explains, I started as a Marshall employee the Monday before Hurricane Katrina hit, and so that Monday was an interesting meeting. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Hurricane Katrina was coming, so I said let me see the emergency plan. The next two years was a blur.

But Scheuerman worked his way up in the rocket business the hard way, and now hes here at the top of Marshall Space Flight Center.

Scheuermann remembers, When I started in 1986 as a test conductor for testing space shuttle main engines, sort of like my predecessor Robert Lightfoot, he got his same start testing space shuttle engines too. For me now to go from that position to every opportunity that Ive had in the past has been just tremendous opportunity for me.

Right next to the elevators at Marshall, you find the stated goals. Even though the center has new leadership, the mission stays the same.

Scheuermann describes, The Marshall mission is strong. We look forward to having a great future here at Marshall Space Flight Center. The Space Launch System, were well on our way of design and looking forward to a first flight soon for it. Experimental flight test number one [is] coming up here in December.

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New Marshall Space Flight Center Director Introduces Himself, Vision For Marshall

Patrick Scheuermann (Photo: NASA)

Information from NASA.gov:

WASHINGTON NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced three changes to his senior leadership team Tuesday.

Robert Lightfoot, acting associate administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, will assume that role on a permanent basis. Patrick Scheuermann, director of NASAs John C. Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Miss., will become director of NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Scheuermann, will replace Robin Henderson, who has filled the position on a temporary basis since Gene Goldmans retirement Aug. 3. Lightfoot began his assignment as acting associate administrator March 5.

Scheuermanns successor as the Stennis director is Dr. Richard J. Gilbrech, who currently serves as that centers deputy director. All three management changes are effective immediately.

Robert, Patrick and Rick are three of NASAs finest public servants who will continue to play key roles in our agencys future, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. America is fortunate to have three such talented leaders assuming these important jobs at a pivotal time for NASA and space exploration.

As associate administrator, Lightfoot is the agencys highest-ranking civil servant, responsible for oversight and integration of NASAs broad efforts in human space flight, science and aeronautics. Lightfoot began his NASA career as a test engineer and manager for the space shuttle main engine technology test bed program. He then served in leadership positions at Marshall, Stennis and Headquarters. From 2003 to 2005, he was assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program, Office of Space Flight, at Headquarters.

Scheuermann has provided executive leadership, overall direction and management of Stennis since being named that centers director in 2010. He is responsible for implementing NASAs mission in the area of rocket propulsion testing, and developing and maintaining NASAs world-class rocket propulsion test facilities.

Scheuermann previously served as Stennis deputy director and associate director, in addition to working as chief operating officer of NASAs Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Since joining NASA in 1988 as a propulsion test engineer, he worked on numerous major test projects at Stennis, including serving as project manager for NASAs Reusable Launch Vehicle program, a NASA-industry effort to develop a new generation of safe and cost-effective rockets to send payloads to space.

Gilbrech has served as Stennis deputy director since 2010. He began his NASA career in 1991 at Stennis in the area of propulsion test technology. From 1998 to 2000, he served as chief of the Propulsion Test Engineering Division at Stennis, and in 2003, he was named manager of the Propulsion Integration Office, responsible for managing NASAs rocket propulsion test facilities. Later in 2003, Gilbrech relocated to Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., to become a principal engineer in the NASA Engineering and Safety Center. He later served as deputy of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center and as deputy director of Langley. In 2006, Gilbrech was named director of Stennis, serving in that role until assuming leadership of NASAs Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at Headquarters in Washington.

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Scheuermann Named New Director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

Technicians and scientists check out one of the Webb telescope's first two flight mirrors in the clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Published: Sept. 24, 2012 at 10:00 PM

GREENBELT, Md., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- NASA says the first two of the 18 primary mirrors for its James Webb Space Telescope arrived at its Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

After inspection they will be stored in the Goddard clean room until engineers are ready to assemble them onto the telescope's structure that will support them, a NASA release said Monday.

The mirrors where shipped from Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colo., which under contract to Northrop Grumman is responsible for the Webb's optical technology and lightweight mirror system.

The remaining 16 mirrors will make their way from Ball Aerospace to Goddard over the next 12 months as they await telescope installation in the space telescope in 2015.

"These first two completed flight mirror assemblies arriving at Goddard are an important first step leading towards the integration of the mirrors onto the flight structure," said Lee Feinberg, NASA optical telescope element manager for the telescope. "These delivered flight mirrors meet their requirements, which is great news for Webb telescope being able to fulfill its scientific potential."

Each of the 18 hexagonal-shaped mirror assemblies are 4.2 feet across and when assembled will create the telescope's 21-foot primary mirror.

To meet one of the Webb's science goals of looking back through time to when galaxies were young, a large mirror is necessary to see far-off and faint objects, astronomers said.

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First mirrors for space telescope arrive

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, Dr. Mary Johnston, Carolyn Griner and Dr. Ann Whitaker (left to right), scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1974, complete a training session in the MSFCs Neutral Buoyancy Simulator, a facility used to simulate weightlessness. The scuba diving is part of special training the three took to better qualify them for their duties of designing experiments on materials processing in space.

The training increased their understanding of the problems associated with doing experiments in space, such as aboard Spacelab. Dr. Johnston specializes in metallurgical engineering, Carolyn Griner in materials sciences, and Ann Whitaker in lubrication and surface physics. Carolyn Griner continued her career at MSFC, serving as the director of the Mission Operations Laboratory. In 1994 she was appointed as Deputy Director of MSFC, and for 9 months in 1998 served as acting Director. She retired from NASA in December 2000.

Over a 16-year period Dr. Ann Whitaker served at NASA as chief of the Physical Sciences Branch, the Engineering Physics Division, and the Project and Environmental Engineering Division. In 1995 she served in several leadership positions in Marshalls Science and Engineering Directorate. In September 2001, Dr. Whitaker was named director of the Science Directorate at MSFC.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

Originally posted here:

Space History Photo: Scientists in Training

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2012) The first two of the 18 primary mirrors to fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The mirrors are going through receiving and inspection and will then be stored in the Goddard cleanroom until engineers are ready to assemble them onto the telescope's backplane structure that will support them.

Ball Aerospace, Boulder, Colo., under contract to Northrop Grumman, is responsible for the Webb's optical technology and lightweight mirror system. On September 17, 2012, Ball Aerospace shipped the first two mirrors in custom containers designed specifically for the multiple trips the mirrors made through eight U.S. states while completing their manufacturing. The remaining 16 mirrors will make their way from Ball Aerospace to Goddard over the next 12 months as they await telescope integration in 2015.

"These first two completed flight mirror assemblies arriving at Goddard are an important first step leading towards the integration of the mirrors onto the flight structure," said Lee Feinberg, NASA Optical Telescope Element Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "These delivered flight mirrors meet their requirements, which is great news for Webb telescope being able to fulfill its scientific potential."

One of the Webb's science goals is to look back through time to when galaxies were young. To see such far-off and faint objects, Webb needs a large mirror. A telescope's sensitivity, or how much detail it can see, is directly related to the size of the mirror area that collects light from the objects being observed. A larger area collects more light, just like a larger bucket collects more water in a rain shower than a small one.

Webb's scientists and engineers determined that a primary mirror 6.5 meters (21 feet 4 inches) across is what was needed to measure the light from these distant galaxies. Each of the 18 hexagonal-shaped mirror assemblies that make up the primary mirror measures more than 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) across, and weighs approximately 40 kilograms, or 88 pounds.

The Webb will be the first space astronomy observatory to use an actively-controlled, segmented mirror. The Webb is critical for future infrared observations. The Webb will be the premier observatory of the next decade. It will study every phase in the history of our universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of stellar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System. It is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

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First two James Webb Space Telescope flight mirrors delivered to NASA

The Space Shuttle Endeavours final flight last week was likely one of the most photographed plane flights in history. Riding piggyback on a specially adapted Boeing 747, Endeavours farewell tour took it from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Los Angeles International Airport, cruising over cities including New Orleans, Houston and San Francisco along the way, creating photo ops everywhere it went for professionals and amateurs alike.

The flight was even captured by Digital Globes satellite as it flew overWhite Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in the image above that was highlighted today on Google Earth Blog. This great image is an interesting, almost sad reversal of the photos we are used to seeing of the shuttle heading away from Earth toward space.

The odd blue shadow beneath the planes is not a shadow, but a discoloration. Google Earth Blog has this explanation from Digital Globe: In this image, the color offset of the aircraft occurs when a fast moving object is imaged by the satellite as the panchromatic image is collecting just slightly before the color image of the same location. When the image is merged together to make a color high resolution image, there is a slight offset on fast moving objects.

The planes real shadow can be seen in the image below. Google Earth Blog also has a .kml file with the shuttle image that you can download and view in Google Earth.

Images: Digital Globe/Google via Google Earth Blog

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Space Shuttle Endeavour' s Final Flight as Seen From Space

The US space shuttle Endeavour took its final flight on Friday (local time), making a spectacular series of flypasts over California before landing in Los Angeles where it will retire near its birthplace.Riding piggyback on a specially...

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Space shuttle Endeavour home after final flight

The US space shuttle Endeavour took its final flight on Friday, making a spectacular series of flypasts over California before landing in Los Angeles where it will retire near its birthplace.

Riding piggyback on a specially fitted Boeing 747, the shuttle flew over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge before heading south to take in the Hollywood sign and Disneyland, later landing at LA International Airport (LAX).

'It's so cool, and so sad,' said Todd Unger, 28, among thousands who camped out from the early hours at the Griffith Observatory overlooking the city and the nearby iconic hilltop Tinseltown sign.

'It's the end of an era. But it shows what America can do, we can be really proud,' he added, waving a Stars and Stripes flag as the shuttle banked over the Hollywood Hills.

Cars were parked bumper-to-bumper up the winding roads leading up to the observatory, as Angelenos turned out en masse in several parts of the city to witness Endeavour's final flight.

The shuttle had spent the night at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles, the last leg after a two-day trip across the country from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Before reaching the West Coast, it flew over Tucson, Arizona, to honour former lawmaker Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a horrific shooting last year and whose astronaut husband Mark Kelly commanded Endeavour's final mission.

'It was pretty spectacular... The people of Tucson got an incredible view of this remarkable machine,' Kelly told CNN, adding, 'It's really a testament to American ingenuity.'

After arriving on Friday afternoon, the shuttle will spend a few weeks at a United Airlines hangar at LAX, before being transferred to the California Science Center, where it will go on display on October 30.

Endeavour, which flew more than 115 million miles (185 million km) in its two-decade career, completed its final mission last year.

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Space shuttle makes final flight in LA

As the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off Friday, the final flight attracted the tweets of excited Californians across the state.

Meanwhile, forecasters at the National Weather Service said the skies were mostly clear in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Peninsula and Southern California.

FULL COVERAGE: Endeavour's final journey to L.A.

"It couldnt get any better," said Diana Henderson of the weather service office in Monterey.

Tweet your photos to @latimes or @lanow with the hashtag #SpotTheShuttle. Don't forget to tell us where you are! Photos can also be uploaded here or emailed to latimes-2do82r@olapic.it. Check back -- we'll be compiling the best reader photos.

A sampling:

Storified by Ron Lin, LA Times Fri, Sep 21 2012 08:39:51

#OV105 against the desert landscape at Edwards @latimes #spottheshuttle http://pic.twitter.com/SEiEWr2EPauline Magnusson

Endeavour & @NASA's 747 http://youtu.be/QUkKulj5zEM?a VIDEO Departing Edwards AFB. #spottheshuttle #vbnasa cc @LANow http://lockerz.com/s/246404305Vegas BiLL

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Space shuttle Endeavour final flight captured on Twitter

Video will begin in 5 seconds.

Space shuttle Endeavour flew over California landmarks including the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory before landing at the airport. (Raw Vision).

The US space shuttle Endeavour took its final flight on Friday, making a spectacular series of flypasts over California before landing in Los Angeles where it will retire near its birthplace.

Piggy backed by a specially fitted Boeing 747, the shuttle flew over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge before heading south to take in the Hollywood sign and Disneyland, later landing at LA International Airport (LAX).

"It's so cool, and so sad," said Todd Unger, 28, who was among thousands who camped out from the early hours at the Griffith Observatory overlooking the city and the nearby iconic hilltop Tinseltown sign.

What a landing ... Officials and crew members walk the red carpet. Photo: Reuters

"It's the end of an era."

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Cars were parked bumper-to-bumper up the winding roads leading up to the observatory, as Los Angeles residents turned out en masse in several parts of the city to witness Endeavour's final flight.

The shuttle had spent the night at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles, the last leg after a two-day trip across the country from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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Space shuttle Endeavour makes final flight

Space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, soars over the Californian coast near Ventura, on its way to Los Angeles - Source: Reuters

The space shuttle Endeavour was greeted by cheering crowds in Los Angeles today, as it ended a celebratory final flight en route to its retirement home at a Southern California science museum.

The 75-ton winged spaceship, ferried by a modified Boeing 747, landed at Los Angeles International Airport shortly before 1pm (6am NZT) after hop-scotching across the country from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and flying a victory lap over California.

Hundreds of office workers stood atop downtown skyscrapers, cheering as the shuttle banked low around the city as it arrived from its last stopover at Edwards Air Force Base, about 160 km north of the city in the Mojave desert.

"Let me be the first to say, welcome to Los Angeles, Endeavour," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said during a ceremony on the tarmac.

The shuttle's arrival brought two major freeways leading to the Los Angeles airport to a standstill as drivers got out of their cars to watch the spacecraft make its final approach.

Tens of thousands more spectators, armed with photo and video cameras, had jammed into Griffith Park and Observatory and the surrounding area to catch a glimpse of Endeavour as it soared over the landmark Hollywood sign.

"It's the end of an era," said John Norman, 45, a technical manager from Los Angeles, who visited Kennedy Space Center in Florida to see Endeavour's final launch.

"It's just one of those boyhood dreams."

Applause and cheers rolled through the hills when the orbiter and its escort roared past three times, each pass closer than the one before.

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Space shuttle Endevour home after final flight

LOS ANGELES — The last-ever space shuttle to take flight has made its final landing.

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Space Shuttle Endeavour Lands in L.A. for Display at California Science Center

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The space shuttle Endeavour touched down in Los Angeles on Friday on the back of a jumbo jet, greeted by cheering crowds as it ended a celebratory final flight en route to its retirement home at a Southern California science museum. The 75-ton winged spaceship, ferried by a modified Boeing 747, landed at Los Angeles International Airport shortly before 1:00 p.m. after hop ...

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Space shuttle Endeavour home in Los Angeles after final flight

Anticipation is building for the space shuttle Endeavour's flight over California on Friday.

Landmarks across Southern California were making special accommodations for large crowds and opening up prime viewing spots to space enthusiasts.

At Los Angeles City Hall, officials will open the Tom Bradley Tower to view Endeavour's flyover, and they expect people to also gather at the newly opened Grand Park downtown.

FULL COVERAGE: Endeavour's final journey to L.A.

Crowds were expected at Griffith Observatory, and a free shuttle provided by Councilam Tom LaBonge will pick up people at overflow parking lots at the Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave.

"There have been many days of joy in the city of Los Angeles: our sports teams have brought home championships, and our Olympians have taken back gold medals. But tomorrow, this flyover by space shuttle Endeavour is going to take the cake," LaBonge said. "I hope everyone gets the chance to see it."

In Palmdale, retired workers will gather near Plant 42 where Endeavour was assembled, at Avenue N and Sierra Highway.

SUBMIT PHOTOS: Upload your shuttle photos here

In Long Beach, the Queen Mary, the floating historic landmark, is offering free admission between 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. to anyone who tells the ticket attendant the code word: "Endeavour."

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Space shuttle Endeavour: Excitement builds for Los Angeles flyover

The space shuttle Endeavour takes to the skies above California for its last-ever flight today (Sept. 21), giving observers from Sacramento to Los Angeles a one last chance to see a NASA shuttle soar through the air atop a jumbo jet.

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Space Shuttle Endeavour Soars Over California Today: How to See It