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'Endeavour Fest' Marks Anniversary Of Space Shuttle's Arrival In LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The California Science Center Friday kicked off a weekend-long event celebrating the one-year anniversary of space shuttle Endeavour's arrival to the museum.

KNX 1070's Margaret Carrero reports the partial government shutdown will keep NASA officials from taking part in "Endeavour Fest" even as museum officials say interest levels have exceeded expectations.

Shutdown Keeps NASA Personnel From 'Endeavour Fest'

California Science Center President Jeffrey Rudolph said there's still plenty to enjoy at the exhibit, including a SpaceX Dragon, the next-generation spacecraft.

The free event will also showcase the West Coast premiere of the Red Bull Stratos Exhibit, which includes the 3,000-pound capsule and space suit used by Felix Baumgartner when he jumped from the stratosphere and became the first human to break the sound barrier during freefall.

Rudolph estimates a record 2.7 million visitors will view the retired shuttle in its inaugural year as a museum piece.

Astronaut Garrett Reisman, who flew his first mission aboard Endeavour, was on hand Friday to share his stories with visitors and recalled his first spacewalk aboard the orbiter.

"Best way I can describe it is a combination of the familiar and the outlandish," Reisman said. "You're at your work site, the bolts are right where they're supposed to be, then you look over your shoulder and see the whole East Coast of the United States go flying on by.

Carrero said she was awestruck as she toured the space shuttle:

Stepping inside The Endeavour

Crews are working to build a permanent exhibit for the shuttle, which will be displayed upright as though ready for launch.

The festivities at 700 Exposition Park Drive will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Click here (PDF) for a full list of Endeavour Fest events.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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