The Time a Pickup Pulled the Space Shuttle

All the engineering behind the Endeavour Shuttle's 26th and final mission.
Endeavour’s 26th mission was a lot slower and a lot shorter than the previous 25, but it was still full of fascinating engineering challenges. This October marks the 10-year anniversary of the nearly 3-day trip, so let’s reminisce on this incredible feat and dive into what it took to get the orbiter safely to its final home.
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Practical Engineering is a KZbin channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos!
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This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes.
SPECIAL THANKS
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This video is sponsored by Henson Shaving.
Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Shutterstock, Pond5, and Videoblocks.
Music by Epidemic Sound: epidemicsound.com/creator
Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
Source: • Elexive - Tonic and En...
Producer/Writer/Host: Grady Hillhouse
Editor: Wesley Crump
Production Assistant: Josh Lorenz
Script Editor: Ralph Crewe
Background Painting: Josh Welker
Graphics: Nebula Studios

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

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[@mattbennion779]

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@@mattbennion779 I predict that you won’t be disappointed with your Henson razor. I got mine about 4 months ago and it is head and shoulders better than any other razor I’ve ever used, giving very smooth shaves effortlessly, with no razor burn. But be sure to replace blades frequently, the razor does such a good job that even dull blades shave OK, so if you notice a remarkable improvement with a fresh blade then you probably waited too long to replace it.

[@cpcoark]

I agree with Matt, below. Razor is on order and looking forward to replacing those plastic ones from Sam's Club

[@sythex92]

$70 lol no thanks, I'll stick to my $7/mo subscription.

[@MihzvolWuriar]

13:04 "With an average speed of 2 miles or 3 kilometers per hour, on par with the rest of LA traffic..." Man, I never expected a burn this big in a engineering channel, I loved all the engineering parts but I can't ignore this, it's too good.

[@tracyhardyjohnson1315]

That line was pure gold, I nearly spit out my coffee. 😆

[@ironcito1101]

And it's faster than I would've guessed. That average probably doesn't include the photo-op stops, but it's still a decent speed, considering the difficulty.

[@maruftim]

smirked when hearing that one

[@LtKernelPanic]

Having been to LA I call BS. Endeavour made better time than I did on the freeways.

[@PyroDesu]

Immediately followed up by an engineering burn: "The dream of any multi-million dollar engineering project: to come in only 15 hours behind schedule." The fact Grady could *deadpan* both of those is incredible.

[@johnbee7729]

Just imagine cruising down the 405 and then see the Shuttle crossing on an overpass. What a wild view

[@sparrowthenerd]

"Just imagine cruising down the 405"

[@timhansen3514]

Pulled by a Toyota.... 😉

[@Kenandan]

@@sparrowthenerd He meant parking on 405, I am sure of it!

[@ShadNex]

@@sparrowthenerd ikr ‘crawling’ is the more correct term

[@Jakobiplays]

I work at the everett boeing plant and i sometimes see 777s crossing the overpass to the paint hangar on my way to work

[@Discographic]

Saw this in person, lots of crowds showed up at various points along the trip to watch it go. I didn't even realize you could un-bolt and move traffic lights out of the way temporarily until i saw them do it in person.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

Anything is possible with enough effort or money.

[@PrograError]

well... that's how many places convert roads to runway... (tho it needed to be designed to be that way, IIRC, i believe.) many road infrastructure are just that "removable", provided it's not an emergency landing

[@ClebyHerris]

You’ve never noticed the giant bolts on the base of them? Lol jk you can move everything except power lines and their poles

[@lollllloro]

Feats of stuff meant to be repaired! (Like all things should be in my opinion, as opposed to the wholesale "replace and destroy" unfortunately plaguing many items today)

[@iwontliveinfear]

@@ClebyHerris you can't easily move wooden power poles, but you can disconnect and move the power lines out of the way, and lift the wooden pole with the same rig used to place them. Metal power poles can be moved as easily as a street light. The highway that goes past my neighborhood was recently widened, which required moving 212 wooden power poles 12 feet further away from the center line of the road to accommodate the widening. They only brought 1 new pole to the job, placed it where it needed to be, relocated the lines to the new pole, pulled the old pole out and placed it in the new location for the second pole, and so forth and so on. Took 1 crew 3 days and my power never went out.

[@busomite]

My kids were in elementary school right across the street from one of the stops during this journey. It was an amazing day for all of the kids and parents. The school had field trips across the street to visit the shuttle. Not sure how much instruction happened that day, but I remember we had weeks of conversations about space, engineering, and other related subjects following the experience. Definitely one of those days that lives strongly in your memory and will for the rest of your life. Thanks for revisiting this trip, Grady!

[@Enzo187]

That's one of those experiences for a young kid that can kickstart there love/passion for engineering/technology of all sorts. They're very special moments and it makes me happy hearing about children having the same types of special moments in school that I did.

[@juergenschimmer960]

@@Enzo187 Absolutly. Events like this are very valuable and may start interest in engineering and the memorys of this events may help during hard times as student. Well used time!

[@blazertundra]

Some things are a better for teaching than instruction. Getting to experience a once-in-a-lifetime science/engineering event is definitely one of them.

[@busomite]

@@Enzo187 Totally agree. You'd be not surprised that both of my kids are pursuing engineering degrees of some sort. It really was a life altering day.

[@pyropulseIXXI]

School is a waste of time. Not sure how much 'instruction' happened that day? Spoken like a true id**t. Instruction never happens in school; it takes them 12 years to teach what could be learned in less than 4

[@SeanHodgins]

That shot of it docked to the ISS always get me. Such an amazing vehicle.

[@MahBor]

As a space nerd, this is probably my favorite episode! The last ones were the ISS tracker and yoyo despin. Pls do more vids on space topics. I'd love to know more about launchpad structures and the iconic VAB

[@CarletonTorpin]

Check out Scott Manley’s KZbin, for content similar to what you’ve described.

[@MrT------5743]

One of my favorite VAB stats/info nuggets is, it was initially going to be called Vertical Assembly Building (stacking the Saturn V verticly), but then plans for the building after the Apollo Program were being thought about and it's name changed to Vehicle Assembly Building.

[@kailashbtw9103]

I would love some more episodes about space launch engineering

[@RCAvhstape]

@@CarletonTorpin also Curious Droid.

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

If NASA able to put the real ISS on display, that will be a much bigger achievement.

[@rdhunkins]

I worked several Space Shuttle Missions in Houston as a back room flight controller. The planning efforts that went into those missions were Herculean. Some great memories, and some painful ones, too. Houston didn’t get a real orbiter, but got the SCA. The trip to move that from Ellington field to Space Center Houston was another amazing project.

[@Travelinmatt1976]

Yeah I can't believe we didn't get a shuttle

[@justinfantastic4882]

@@Travelinmatt1976 agree, Florida or Texas should of got her... I watched Columbia disintegrate over my house.. so did thousands if not millions of Texans.. same with the Challenger in Florida .. 2 I have seen .. and WE dont get a monument.. Californians do.. they are quickly becoming the most hated race of people on earth.

[@apopompi]

Dude, what an amazing job. That is something your grand grand sons will still comment.

[@hkmp5s]

@@Travelinmatt1976 The Obama administration snubbed Texas.

[@common_c3nts]

It is so odd that they did not put a real shuttle at the space center. They only have a replica shuttle on top of the real SCA.

[@prblackhawk]

I’m not sure why this video made me cry but it’s just nice to see something this complex and historic be accomplished.

[@j121212100]

I got a kick out of the space shuttle and donut shop pboto.

[@RajasPoorna]

Same!

[@savageone8931]

It’s literally what our ancestors thought about the first time they looked up into the sky and saw stars. Humanity’s dreams

[@bicivelo]

Being born in the 70s, the space shuttle was a big part of my childhood and the crash of the challenger was devastating. It’s really good that they are honoring this shuttle.

[@Lyerbait13]

Man, I’m not sure what about it did it but it brought tears to my eyes. I love the promise of space, and it makes me so happy to see people honoring it!

[@loficampingguy9664]

Y'know, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I thought it was silly at first, but come on it's space, no feeling of awe and inspiration is inappropriate.

[@zyeborm]

Me 3 guys, big beardy man wiping tears away watching the care and dedication shown to legends of the past. It was the worst space truck, but it was beautiful.

[@brmolnar]

I was able to see Discovery when it landed at Dulles Airport for final display in the Air and Space Museum. Fortunately for Discovery, the museum has a taxiway from the airport. There was a period of time where Discovery was nose to nose with Enterprise, before Enterprise was moved to the Intrepid in NYC.

[@phillyphakename1255]

Flight museums which are located at airports make logistics so much easier. My local museum had a Blue Angels plane fly in, get decommissioned at an FBO, and taxi on down to the museum.

[@CalvinsWorldNews]

The Air & Space in downtown DC is... good. But their Udvar Hazy hanger by the airport is genuinely one of the best museums in the world! A space shuttle, a Concorde, an SR71 and an Arado 234 (nazi jet bomber) are just a few of the things they have. If you're ever flying in/out of Dulles, set aide a couple hours to visit the museum next door.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

I was a bit too young to see anything in person, but I remember watching discovery land on TV a couple times, and I was watching when Columbia happened.

[@richardmcdonnell5367]

Great video as always! I have to admit it was a little emotional for me. I've loved the Space Shuttle since I was a small kid in the 80's and wanted to be an Astronaut because of it. It's great to see there being retired and people can still see them. FYI, I didn't become an Astronaut, but it did lead me down a road of Engineering and Science.

[@veramae4098]

L.A. was shocked at the joyful public response. They'd thought there'd be all kinds of complaints about road closures and other traffic issues / businesses. Instead it brought Angelenos together in a great way. The Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. is one of the most, if not THE most popular museums. Yet politicians really underestimate the appeal to voters.

[@PrograError]

@@veramae4098 US politicians almost always are short sighted and prefer loud showy BS...

[@kevinheard8364]

Emotional for me, as well.....Great job!

[@mattbennion779]

Come to think of it, the model spaceship that I used to play with was a toy endeavor

[@toin9898]

I went to LA in 2014 and went to see Endeavour, it was such an emotional and humbling experience. I'll never forget it.

[@frankbrockler]

If you thought seeing a shuttle orbiter sitting on a yellow beam was impressive, you should experience Atlantis at the KSC Visitor Complex. Bring a box of Kleenex. You'll need it.

[@JonnyHuman]

This is giving me big nostalgia vibes. As a teen I convinced my mom to drive us down to see Endeavor land @ LAX, it's final landing. Beautiful

[@Bare_Essence]

Most amazingly, in the time stop video there appeared to not be any accidents on the 405 as a shuttle passed slowly on an overhead bridge across the road. Surprised no one lost focus.

[@PracticalEngineeringChannel]

Haha that video is a composite. They shut down traffic while it crossed. The real shot is in the intro

[@mark.mazzarella]

This is one of the coolest episodes you’ve ever done imo. I grew up in LA but moved away before the transport, so I didn’t get a chance to see it in person. But it’s incredible being able to take a peek behind the curtain into the engineering challenges for such an iconic mission

[@staubach1979rt]

The logistics of this move were insane. If you know the area from LAX to the Science Center, it would seem impossible. Kudos to them all and thank you for a great video.

[@goodbyemr.anderson5065]

yeah lets kill 400 trees to move a decommissioned shuttle. lol

[@staubach1979rt]

@@goodbyemr.anderson5065 They didn't kill any trees. In fact, they went way out of their way to not harm any trees.

[@nobodynemoq]

@@staubach1979rt wise move. Infrastructure can be rebuilt, old tree cut down is a permanent loss. Seems like they had to remove some, since it was noted how much it did cost.

[@staubach1979rt]

@@nobodynemoq I was wrong. About 400 trees were cut down. Some needed to be anyway, but yes, about 400 were cut down with the promise of replacing them.

[@incognitoburrito6020]

@@staubach1979rt Always good to admit your mistakes, but it did day that in the video

[@metrazol]

Thank you for mentioning the trees. As an Angeleno, I remember the move and how cool it was, but also that the trees, 10 years later, weren't even close and most weren't replaced. I hate a ficus as much as the next guy, but it's still a shade equity crime.

[@timmccormack3930]

I would have been pretty pissed about the trees, and I'm really disappointed to hear that they didn't do a good job replacing them. People don't understand just how much street trees affect quality of life, and how planting a new one doesn't replace the old one in any reasonable time frame. It would be comparable with having to rip up the road to do the move and then just leaving it like that for the next 20 years.

[@el.blanco8961]

I saw endeavor fly attached to a 747 over the capital in Sacramento, it's a lot bigger than you think, made my dad cry, lots of people gathered to see it I even got the video of it somewhere.

[@JanVP1]

As a Belgian, I'm proud by association that local (10 miles from my house) contractor Sarens (with its cranes and SPMTs in that typical blue color) got to do the project. I've seen them in action in my area several times, for lifting things to the top of high buildings and moving bridges into place.

[@astranger448]

Yep, small country BIG movers and lifters ;-)

[@MrT------5743]

I worked at Sprint Long distance. We had an aerial fiberoptic cable across the route. We had a crew on-site that cut the cable as Endeavor approached it. Then it was fusion spliced the fiberoptic cable right after it passed. Cool memory this video brought up.

[@pseudotasuki]

One of my fondest memories was the time I heard the distinctive sound of military jet engines. I stepped outside just in time to see a pair of T-38s escorting an SCA carrying Discovery as they flew directly over my house. This was just a few minutes before they landed at Dulles, meaning I was one of the last people to see Discovery flying.

[@lizj5740]

This reminded me of the overpass that collapsed in Warragul, Victoria, Australia, in 1962. A low-loader, transporting a 32-tonne transformer to a power station, caused the overpass to collapse. Only seconds after the low-loader, which was being pushed by a prime mover, had left the overpass, the 45-foot span above the railway line collapsed behind it. The prime mover was stuck with its front wheels on the roadway and its back wheels on a railway tanker that has been below the overpass. Not quite as exciting as having the Endeavour travel through the neighborhood, but it got a few hearts pounding. Thanks for your fascinating videos, Grady. Love from Liz and Ginger (pic left) in Australia.

[@PrograError]

I think their arse plunked up tight hard enough to break walnut shells...

[@alphaadhito]

Wow, tbh this is one of the least expected video from Practical Engineering but probably my favorites!

[@siztem]

I was one of the yellow shirts who got to walk with the shuttle for a while. It was the first time ever seeing a shuttle in-person - it was both an incredible experience to be a part of, but also incredibly sad

[@georgeprout42]

I can only imagine the US pride, similar to the UK pride with Concorde being retired and laid to rest as a museum piece. I still miss her deafening roar just before 11am. Every. Single. Day. Both were taken from us too soon. RIP both the Shuttles and Concordes.

[@HSAC.WDTK.DTKT.LFO.]

There are two places in the US where you can see a space shuttle and a Concorde in the same place!

[@fishnsyd]

This got me emotional! The shots of it flying on top of the plane and driving down the streets are striking, to think humans figured out how to launch something so massive into space so many times.

[@woodywoodmc2209]

Imagine the Toyota marketing rep’s hard-on when the opportunity for their truck to pull a whole space shuttle came up

[@carlwilhelmtonnevold]

Well this is just AWESOME! I am from Norway, and seeing this shuttle was on my bucket list. I finlly had the possibility to go see the Endeavour the day before this video came out. I have some awesome pictures and had a great time at The California Science Center!

[@stevenquan]

I legit teared up during parts of this! Thanks for the great video as always.

[@deandennis2838]

I was visiting the space center in Florida shortly after the Shuttle landed. Our tour stopped while we watched it being rolled into the hangar. It was dirty with black stripes down the side. It was possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

[@Zeppflyer]

Fun fact: The SpaceX Falcon 9 is the size it is (and is such a bean stalk) so that it can be fairly easily and routinely carried by road from California, to Texas, to Florida. Even then, the booster that carried the Crew 5 mission a few days ago struck a bridge in Van Horn, TX (the town from which Blue Origin launches its space tourism flights.)

[@nicholasroos3627]

Why does that sound loaded with internet meme tensions?

[@pullt]

Fun fact: It's not a spacecraft.

[@Zeppflyer]

@@pullt Well, it is. The booster does go into space (if not orbit), but either way I just thought it was an interesting recent story about the interaction between launch vehicles and ground infrastructure.

[@GiddeonFox]

Lots of rockets are designed like that, or if bigger still designed to fit snugly on a barge, it's not some SpaceX thing.

[@Zeppflyer]

@@GiddeonFox Indeed. I wouldn't claim it was. Many of China's Long March family are 3.35 meters in diameter because of the loading gauge of Chinese rail. Russia's Proton's odd formation of 6 engines strapped around a central fuel tank has a similar cause. The Shuttle fuel tank and SLS main stage had to be able to fit in a barge originally designed for the Saturn V. Rocket Lab is building its new manufacturing factility right near its new launch site in Wallops, VA so they don't have to worry about transportation. It's just a recent an interesting example of the interaction between launch systems and the constraints of ground infrastructure.

[@rickpratt8789]

I followed the moving of the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Antonio in 1985. Just a few blocks, but impressive nonetheless. The engineering involved, the prep, the actual move, the Guinness records, etc. The Endeavor move is equally fascinating and will also go down in the history books. Thanks for this video!

[@timhansen3514]

We've been moving buildings in L.A. since they started building freeways. Many houses in my neighborhood were lifted from their foundations and moved to other locations. And in the 60s and 70s the LAUSD moved large bungalows to elementary schools to absorb us baby boomers.... 😉

[@BenjaminWasHere]

This year on Sept 18 was my Bday. I’m now 57…. My Mom lives in Texas and flew in for my Bday. I love seeing my Mom. We’re all getting older so I cherish every moment. I decided, for My Bday…I wanted to go see the Shuttle; THIS Shuttle! Might seem kind of uneventful when I could have done ANYTHING… I missed the days of this transport, and have ALWAYS thought about just going to see this part of Space History. What better time than My Bday…with My Mom…as it would have been if I were still a young boy and my Mom took me for an “educational field trip”?! Watching this video, which I only just found, brings a tear to My eyes. I’ve forwarded it to My Mom already. This video was the Icing on My Cake!! Thank You for having made it. We’re never too old to HANG OUT WITH MOM! I want to be an Astronaut now! Do You think I can still get in?? 🎉😂😢

[@EllisPedersen]

This is a really great memory from my childhood. Happy to see it documented and publicised here for the internet to see.

[@arbitraryconfusion]

What an incredible journey. Thanks for making this video. It made me cry to see this shuttle put in a place of honor.

[@aSinisterKiid]

Wow, what a cool journey to witness at the time. This is one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences that are so special to be a part of. What a feat of engineering and transportation to be able to navigate it safely to its destination. I wish I could have gotten to see this in person. I am always in awe of the teams required to move especially large objects as well as the machinery required to accomplish it. Great video.

[@brianlance]

Thanks for covering this Grady. Living in socal, we heard a lot about this and saw lots of photos and videos, but nothing really in depth about what it really took to accomplish this move. Your comment about LA traffic is 100% on point. Still need to get to the science center to see the shuttle.

[@RichardWraith]

I could watch this guy talk about engineering all day long... Very chilled, great pace and makes everything simple to understand! Kudos Grady 🙂

[@thebogsofmordor7356]

I'm a simple man. I see a video about space & engineering & I click. Great content btw. -Asphalt mix designer

[@DC_ABC_123]

I'll be honest, I was a little choked up watching this. It's moving to see people working together to achieve something bigger than themselves. As an engineer for over 25 years as well as aeronautics aficionado, I can't even imagine the thousands of hours and people and paperwork and phone calls and favors and luck necessary for this to come together. It's almost otherworldly. Thanks for the memories!

[@georgehill8285]

I saw Enterprise fly over my office when it came into New York. It was an incredible sight! I can’t imagine how they would’ve done this in NYC if it wasn’t for the fact that the Intrepid museum is on the water.

[@jamescaliendo1030]

Impossible in NYC, too many height issues.

[@gawoodbridge]

Great video. My family and I were blessed to have an opportunity to see Endeavor up close and personal at the Science Center with a private tour with Astronaut John Herrington(STS-113) and the President of the Science Center. I remember them having to shut down major parts of the electrical grid to move the Endeavor across the bridge. What a feat of engineering and such a joy to see everyone coming out to view the Endeavor as it made its way across the city. I look forward to seeing Endeavor in its new position ready for liftoff again!

[@SteveSRT]

I love that you say Nevada correctly. Also if you were curious, the light weight dolly was provided by Patterson Heavy Haul in California. He runs a classy operation and is no stranger to those odd oversized loads.

[@mikescott7123]

Back in 2013 we went on a family vacation to Orlando. Randomly picked a day to head to KSC to which my kids whined about how I was nerding out. That day happened to be the opening day for the Atlantis exhibit. After attending all the other theme parks in the area, I asked them what was their favorite, and they both said KSC

[@CommentsAllowed]

You make the kind of videos I like letting my kids watch on KZbin. Good, clean and educational.

[@phoenixdragon5154]

I was actually on the south side of the shuttle when it went across that bridge in the Toyota. It was one of the most spectacular things that I have ever seen. I have very fond memories of that move. The feeling was very electric. Now I have to go find the video that I took.

[@bradmathews]

Took my 4yo son out of school to go to Ames and watch Endeavor's low altitude flyby. Great time! Then we saw Atlantis at Cape Canaveral earlier this year. 2 down, 2 to go!

[@phugoidoscillations]

It’s gotten better over the years, but I still feel an upwell of emotions every time I see one of the orbiters. I’m sure there’s probably 10-20 thousand others just like me. Thanks for the video!

[@MrLewisTan]

this video hit me kinda hard too. these were made for the love of science and exploration and I don't think we will ever get something in this spirit again.

[@MrEazyE357]

That was a weird estimate. How exactly did you come up with that number?

[@phugoidoscillations]

@@MrEazyE357 The approximate number of people that I estimate worked at KSC and JSC supporting the missions and processing the vehicles over three decades.

[@tybirous3417]

I'm one of them. Totally not at the edge of tears for seeing one of mankind's greatest ever achievments crawling down the LA roads.

[@wingshad0w00982]

An amusing story of the shuttle carrier, that took off from a slightly sub-standard runway on long island almost directly over a neighborhood. They did (and this is a rough quote from one of a few engineers from the project) about 10 million calcuations of if the shuttle would work. But *man* it was close to that fence at the end of the air-field. It did make it (of course) but it was tight.

[@TaylorHeide54]

I’ve been fortunate enough to see this at the science center! It’s absolutely breathtaking. I recommend it for anyone and everyone.!!😊 I can’t wait to go back to see it once it’s upright!

[@tristangates2797]

I love all the pictures that came out of the move. Kind of like the worlds slowest parade celebrating spaceflight. I actually had no idea there was an engineering reason behind the tow by the pickup truck. At the time I thought it was just a marketing stunt, but even just as that it was cool enough to get a pass.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

- Impressive vehicle. - Astounding engineering. - Legendary history. - Astronomical costs.

[@fk319fk]

We had a transformer that was dropped off by rail and trucked to its final destination. In our small town, it was a media event. I would love to see more on this subject.

[@liteguy38]

When I visited LA for the first time in December 2019, we visited the Science Centre and I was blown away by seeing the shuttle in person. Then to see the photographs in the Centre of its journey through the City sparked such joy in my inner child. One photo stood out to me: a pair of kids were playing basketball in their back yard and in the background (front yard of the house), the space shuttle was just meandering by with the kids unaware. This video sparked the same joy as seeing it in person. Fantastic job Brady!

[@veggiedisease123]

I was thinking of that photo for the entire video. It's pretty amazing.

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

I watched the Endeavour move just north of LAX along La Tijera and park in the parking lot between Sepulveda Eastway and Sepulveda for the night. I saw it the next day when it crossed the 405 freeway next to Randy's Donuts. The last part of the move I saw it parked in the Forum parking lot. Endeavour spent as many nights as it could in parking lots, when available, to minimize effects on traffic. Really great video, Grady!

[@kentslocum]

Wow! What an incredible video of an incredible event! I was vaguely aware that this had occurred, but I had no idea that the ultimate goal was to display the shuttle in a launch configuration, with liquid fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. I will definitely make the trip to Los Angeles to see that for myself when the new wing of the museum is open.

[@RZ350NC]

I watched Challenger land once. Even as far away as we were, it was an impressive show. Take care.

[@AmpdLSU]

I have fond memories of going out in my back yard in southern Louisiana when I knew a shuttle was coming in for landing. Could heard the double sonic boom. Not crazy loud at the altitude it was. Watching them come back at night was awesome too!

[@Merennulli]

This is pretty stunning. I knew it would be a logistical nightmare even back when it was announced just from the sheer size of the shuttle, but I had no idea they did all this. I had to rewatch the light posts going back up behind the shuttle because it was so unbelievable. Where I live, I'm used to even vital infrastructure taking a long time to get back up. Thank you for covering this. I was always curious about it but the news I had access to at the time didn't really cover more than "look, shuttle in street, see neat picture!".

[@leniterfortis4832]

Amazing how universally interested people are in space exploration. I'm sure most of the people who were there watching it move had no actual affiliation with any sort of space program, but they still took time to see such an amazing piece of human design.

[@RCAvhstape]

This reminds me of when they moved the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, NC away from the eroding shoreline inland a few hundred yards. They lifted the whole tower up on jacks and moved it, keeping it vertical the whole time. There was a documentary on it years ago.

[@FloydMcpuffle]

I’ve seen the lighthouse and the move had to have been amazing ❤

[@jasondashney]

11:27 this is one of the craziest photos I've ever seen. Imagine seeing the same old view from your window every day, and then one day there's literally a space shuttle going past.

[@CreedBrattonTheOffice]

I can add to your damage of the road part. I'm an FWD operator in New Zealand (so I can't speak for US roads, which I know are quite often concrete based), but typically we apply loads to measure the deflection of the pavement here in NZ at 40-46 KN (about 9-10,000 lbf, 4-5000 kgf). These simulate a truck driving over the pavement and for highways/expressways/motorways or any major roads we get deflections of 50-400 microns if it's strong, 400+ is not ideal for roads that carry large volumes of roads but good for residential streets etc. for reference, 1 micron is 0.001mm or 1000 microns is 1mm. So that's how small even a big truck driving over the road will bend it. With concrete, it will be even less deflection as it's far stronger than asphalt/chip seal but this rigidity is what causes the massive amount of cracking you get on concrete roads.

[@owenmougenot712]

Hi Grady. This reminds me of the move and assembly of the components of the spruce goose many years ago from the factory to San Francisco harbor for it's only flight. I did get a chance to sit in the pilots seat when it was later moved to the Evergreen Aviation museum , That was a thrill. I am sure in those days the route was planned with ladders and tape measures and chain saws. Enjoy your channel with the variety of topics .Owen m

[@Bob-nc5hz]

It's also reminiscent of the transport of the A12s (Project OXCART, the predecessor of the SR-71) from the Lockheed factory in Palmdale, CA, to Area 51 where they were tested and crews were trained. Also yay for the mention of the 4th power law, always a fun tidbit to mention when discussing road engineering.

[@veggiedisease123]

Pretty sure the Spruce Goose test flight took place in LA harbor, opposite Cabrillo beach.

[@Cyberguy42]

11:33 "it encountered several unexpected obstacles, mainly tree branches that had been assumed to be out of the way." I'm curious why those particular obstacles were missed during the planning phase when the scans were accurate enough to plan a route with inches to spare.

[@timmccormack3930]

It seems likely to me that the branches had been just inches out of the way, and now were inches *in* the way, as trees change shape with time. (Leaf mass, moisture on the leaves, wind....)

[@Cutondogor]

It's an amazing piece of engineering, the transport was some bloody amazing planning, and I cried for the end of an era and the fear that we wouldn't get to space again for many years.

[@willierants5880]

This episode emphasized American's indelible spirit. It actually brought a budding tear to my eyes a few times. It's really good to see what we can achieve when we all work together. I hope our nation, its media and our governments stop this infighting and bias.

[@DoubsGaming]

That's just cool, gotta say it's probably the most iconic spacecraft to date.

[@AmpdLSU]

Definitely! Flight controls for air and all the thrusters to control it in space?! The challenge to create that and have such a versatile, reusable spacecraft that naturally looks badass! Remarkable.

[@ImieNazwiskoOK]

Probably, but could compete with Saturn V

[@AmpdLSU]

@@ImieNazwiskoOK for sure! I had the fortunate opportunity to view both of them at the Kennedy Space Center. I was gobsmacked

[@lenowoo]

It was quite a big. . . ENDEAVOR

[@henryatkinson1479]

Got to see this in person, both the flight in and the drive through. It was incredibly surreal.

[@geoffstrickler]

That was definitely a logistical and engineering challenge. Thanks for covering it.

[@Cursivealpha]

I would love to see you do an episode or series on secure facilities construction. My dad has worked in AF intel his whole career and lots of secure buildings. NASIC is currently building a new build at WPAFB in Dayton, and it makes me wonder how they handle logistics of secrecy of certain areas and delivering a final product

[@lolbots]

found the Iranian spy

[@DeFlanko]

Every time i go to the Science center i have to see the Shuttle -- three times now. I'm always in awe.

[@gpdewitt]

My favorite part of the horizontal shuttle exhibit is the seismic isolators, they're brilliantly engineered! Looking forward to seeing it vertical.

[@supremelordoftheuniverse5449]

Indeed, the streets of LA are so alien and inhospitable that you'd need a spaceship to navigate it

[@ok0_0]

I'm surprised parts of it didn't get stolen

[@17an28]

Imagine being lucky enough to see this in person 😍

[@paulasimson4939]

What a feat of engineering! I've literally got goosebumps watching this.

[@Voltaic_Fire]

I like that somebody made a "Shuttle crossing" sign just for this singular occasion. 😁

[@PrograError]

they probably reused it for the rest of the moves to the different locations...

[@Sir_Uncle_Ned]

The shuttle was a phenomenal engineering marvel, and we have not seen anything remotely as capable ever since. It's a shame the design had to be such a dangerous compromise between military and civilian missions. Hopefully, we can get something that versatile again with the upcoming SpaceX Starship.

[@WilliamStonephotography]

I worked on this job excavating the hole for the building 😁.

[@heidirabenau511]

Omg, you are so lucky!

[@WilliamStonephotography]

@@heidirabenau511 I go back Friday to finish loading out the footing spoils 😁

[@proxybox]

Wow brings back great memories. I live right next to LAX and woke up at around 3am and convinced my wife to walk over and see Endeavor. It was fantastic to see it roll down Westchester Parkway in the dim night. The next day it was on Manchester and I rode my bike to see it again. Whenever I drive down Manchester I glance at the replacement trees in the median to remember that historic time. I also remember when I was in elementary school we got to visit the Columbia being built in Downey. It was some cool to see it close up. It's tragic what happened to Challenger and those moments are all etched in my mind

[@docsides]

Digs at LA traffic and multimillion dollar engineering schedules back to back! I absolutely adore this channel.

[@TheDVDwr]

12:14 a lot of people underestimate trees. It's not like planting a new one replaces a decades old one, you will be dead before it gets to the age of the old one. One of the things that can't be bought, replaced or "manufactured" are trees. You can't replant a 50 year old tree wherever you like. Just let it be.

[@captainzac24]

I cannot help but get emotional when I see this it's so sad to see it retire but so magical to see a spaceship on LA streets

[@jamesv4463]

i'm glad endeavor was saved. it was one of humanity's first real space ships. not something that was built and lost while in use. i real mile stone in mans journey into space

[@TheWrxrally]

Anything about Endeavor always makes me so emotional. One of the last of it's kind. Beautiful piece of engineering. Sure, was it the best spaceship ever? No. But, it was the coolest.

[@mrkube_8081]

What a fascinating story. I was more intrigued than I originally thought I would be. Good job, Grady.

[@SimplyDudeFace]

I was there for the maiden launch of the Endeavour. Living in Florida I managed to make it to the cape for a good number of launches during the last five years of the Shuttle program. The first launch of Endeavour was the one time I managed to get a vehicle pass to be on the causeway during the launch.

[@mof920]

I live close by and love visiting Endeavor~ My first time seeing it, I was thoroughly impressed with its size. It's MUCH larger than I thought it'd be.

[@alayneperrott9693]

Good to see you enjoying yourself so much presenting this video, Grady!

[@ExperimentIV]

wow, what a coincidence! i’ve been reading a lot about the shuttle programme recently. thanks for this video, grady!

[@paulhaynes8045]

Very good - I even watched the ad! I don't know how you manage to come up with something different every episode - can't imagine this managing to navigate the streets of London to reach a museum over here!

[@stevebounds4285]

I loved this video. I took my son last year to this exhibit and it’s nice to see the work that went into getting the shuttle there.

[@HaveANiceDayDude]

This might be the coolest video you have ever done. Even though you are always talking about feats of engineering, this one hit different

[@listofromantics]

This is equal parts truly fascinating and amazing! What a story! I tip my hat to whomever had to oversee and plan such a momentous undertaking.

[@chefchip2002]

this is one of the best you have made yet, I love endeavor, and I love this story

[@zstewart]

Another cool move like this (though much shorter distance - only about 1000 feet) is from the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry when they moved the submarine U-505 from outdoor display to indoor display in a specially constructed basin. The museum's youtube channel has a time-lapse video showing nearly the entire move.

[@mbyard356]

What a great piece of space exploration history! I remember setting up near the NASA facility in Sunnyvale, to watch the shuttle flyover. I still haven’t made the trip to see it on display.

[@mxg75]

Once the new vertical exhibit is complete, the three surviving shuttles will each be displayed in a unique way, representing a different phase of flight. Endeavor in California will be in launch configuration, Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be in flight configuration, with the cargo bay doors open, and Discovery at the Smithsonian in DC will be in landing configuration, parked on its landing gear.

[@DavidGuild]

The Discovery is at the Udvar-Hazy Center, not the Smithsonian. Unless they're planning to move it?

[@mxg75]

@@DavidGuild I misspoke (or wasn’t clear.) The Udvar-Hazy Center is an annex of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. No plans to move it to the main facility on the Mall, as far as I know.