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  • Published
    14 Images

    A Mighty Endeavour: Building a Space Shuttle

    On Apr. 25, 1991, NASA unveiled OV-105 -- space shuttle Endeavour. But getting the ship built was a years-long process spanning multiple facilities. Here, a look at how space shuttles get built.

  • Building Endeavour 11
    Apr. 25, 1991: The OV-105 is rolled out after the final parts are put in place at Boeing's Rockwell Palmdale facility. Here's a look at what happened behind the scenes as the shuttle was put together. 
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour
    July 18, 1986: The initial build of the crew module, in Bldg 290 high bay at Boeing's Rockwell Downey facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_1
    Jan. 20, 1987: The crew module is shown being lowered into the vacuum chamber test facility at Rockwell Downey facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_2
    Sept. 10, 1987: The mid fuselage is delivered from General Dynamics in San Diego to Boeing's Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_3
    Jan. 20, 1988: The crew module is shown being lowered into the lower forward fuselage at Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_5
    Jan. 20, 1988: The crew module is lowered into the lower forward fuselage at Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_4
    Feb. 19, 1988: The right wing being installed to the mid fuselage at Rockwell Palmdale facility, Calif. 
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_6
    Aug 2, 1989: The installation of the liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2) manifolds in the aft fuselage at Rockwell Downey facility, Calif.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_7
    Dec. 20, 1989: The aft fuselage is joined to the mid fuselage at the Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_8
    Feb. 28, 1990: The forward fuselage/crew module is installed in Boeing's Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_9
    Aug. 27, 1990: This image shows the vertical tail being installed in Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_10
    Sept. 9, 1990: This the payload bay doors are installed.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_13
    May 1, 1991: This image shows OV-105, Endeavour, being mated to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) at Rockwell Palmdale facility.
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Building_Endeavour_12
    Apr. 25, 1991: This image shows OV-105, Endeavour, being rolled out at Rockwell Palmdale facility, Calif. 
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    Boeing Corp.
  • Published
    14 Images

    A Mighty Endeavour: Building a Space Shuttle

    On Apr. 25, 1991, NASA unveiled OV-105 -- space shuttle Endeavour. But getting the ship built was a years-long process spanning multiple facilities. Here, a look at how space shuttles get built.

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