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L.A People Talk: Ivor’s Encounter with The Space Shuttle Endeavour

Ivor’s Endeavour Encounter in his own words. I did see Endeavour earlier on Friday in Inglewood as it moved out from LAX—LA’s Airport where the sight of a space ship isn’t too much of a stretch. What I wanted to see was a real space ship plopped right in the middle of a real city—in a real neighborhood like the one near me at the foot of Baldwin Hills. I’ve had the opportunity to see all the Orbiters up close over the years except for Challenger but this one- in this setting would be something really special. The incongruity of a shuttle in the city would be historic!

Knowing that the VIP seating was planned at the Crenshaw Shopping Plaza, I opted to be a part of the assembled multitude in the street. The VIP seating and performance stage did not afford one a view of Endeavour as it first appears on Crenshaw Blvd from King Blvd and that what I wanted to see. The Orbiter would travel north on Crenshaw Blvd. but not come into view from King Blvd. until after it turned a corner near Stocker Street; which runs near my condo. To get the highest viewing position available I arrived at noon—two hours before the show and later I found a KTLA TV truck set up in the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shop parking lot near the corner to climb up on. I would hang on to the truck’s ladder assembly for hours! Having got there early to secure good viewing spots, TSM associate Gwen Durham who lives nearby showed up shortly thereafter and my wife, Viilma arrived hours later—just before the 2 PM scheduled starting time.

More than 10,000 souls stood patiently for five hours or more listening to a sound track of space themes and R&B hits that included what would be the theme song of the event: “Living in America” by James Brown.  Live performances included songs from Patty Austin and James Ingram who delivered his crowd pleaser: “I Believe I Can Fly.” Debbie Allen served as the MC. Mayor Villaraigosa declared this to be “the mother of all parades” and several astronauts including Mike Fincke, who flew on Endeavour’s final flight, addressed the crowd. The many flyovers of the Condor Squadron (vintage AT-6s) out of Van Buys CA. Airport and the hovering Goodyear Blimp from Carson CA. kept the crowd’s attention focused on aerospace technology where it belonged.  And we could gage where the Orbiter was by watching the blimp drift closer to us overhead.

Endeavour was expected at 2 PM but every hour after that the crowd suffered through a new rumor as to what was causing each new delay and a new unofficial ETA. The Lulu Washington Dance Troop kept the crowd entertained and preoccupied with hypnotic aerial ballets. Once the sun set and it was evident that nobody was leaving, the bright streetlights, ‘Jumbotron’ TV monitors and the makeshift promenade made me think of Times Square on a Tuesday night.

It was 7 PM and the soft parade was still proceeding at a glacial pace—frequently halted by many last minute obstructions. Lampposts were quickly dismantled and trees cut just ahead of the creeping Orbiter. Actually, glaciers move faster these days but it was truly worth waiting for. When Endeavour finally came into view a thunderous roar went up from the crowd which was sustained for half an hour. The procession was led by the Crenshaw High School Marching Band and Majorettes. When Endeavour stopped at Crenshaw and King —more than five hours late—the spectacle was amazing. It was New Year’s Eve, 4th of July and Election Night—all rolled into one!
The gleaming white two-story monstrosity that was Endeavour rolling down the street looked like a humongous float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—or maybe a scene from a science fiction movie. Scenes from The Day after Tomorrow and Ghostbusters quickly came to mind.  Seeing Endeavour stopped at the intersection right in front of a Macy’s department store made the New York City analogy complete. When the Orbiter turned east onto King Blvd, its’ nose, bathed in spotlight, was level with my eyes-only yards away! It nimbly swung around soliciting squeals from the crowd underneath the nose. I took these photos of Endeavour high up under a Krispy Kreme sign. It was all simply breathtaking!
TSM thanks Charley Bolden of NASA for his incredible gift to LA and the California Science Center. We hope that the afterglow will be the shot in the arm for space education in this town. With all the children present chanting “we want the shuttle”—this is just what we need to inspire and these students and encourage them to study science and technology and not a moment too soon. Only in America! – Report by Ivor Resident of Los Angeles.

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