Governor Newsom welcomes first public preview of California Science Center's new Air and Space Center ahead of November opening

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Jun 24, 2026

Governor Newsom welcomes first public preview of California Science Center's new Air and Space Center ahead of November opening

Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to open this fall at Exposition Park, featuring Space Shuttle Endeavour

Space Shuttle Endeavour at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. Photo Credit: California Science Center

What you need to know: California's sustained investments in science, education, and innovation are coming to life at Exposition Park. The new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will feature the first and only space shuttle displayed in a full launch, takeoff-ready position on Earth. The Center will transform an already beloved, free museum for millions of kids and families into a global destination that highlights California's aerospace and space legacy.

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today welcomed the first public viewing of the new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center in state-owned Exposition Park, ahead of the Center's forthcoming public opening this November. The major new addition to one of California's most visited family and science destinations will celebrate the state's legacy of aviation and space leadership while inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

California has always been a place of discovery — from the early pioneers of flight to the engineers, astronauts, scientists, and innovators who helped shape the space age and who are powering the next era of exploration today. The new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center reflects our state's enduring commitment to science, education, and innovation, and it will inspire curiosity and learning for generations to come. On behalf of the people of California, I thank everyone who worked so hard to make this world-class Air and Space Center a reality, including the philanthropic partners whose support helped bring this extraordinary vision to completion.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will open its doors to millions of children and families — free of charge — and serve as a source of inspiration for generations to come. This incredible space, in the heart of Los Angeles at Exposition Park, will foster community, connection, and cultivate the next generation of scientists, engineers, innovators, and explorers. By making science more accessible and engaging for all, the Center is a clear investment in our children's futures.

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom

Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. Photo Credit: Mike Kelley, California Science Center

Construction of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center building was completed through a public-private partnership with investments from the Newsom administration and the Legislature. The facility adds roughly 200,000 square feet to the California Science Center and provides a permanent home for the Space Shuttle Endeavour in a vertical launch configuration with its external tank and twin solid rocket boosters. The installation has been described as the world's first and only authentic display of a space shuttle in launch position, giving Californians and visitors from across the globe an unprecedented opportunity to experience one of the nation's most iconic aerospace achievements.

"This expansion of our California Science Center is truly world-class," said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. "It offers an unparallelled experience of discovery and wonder, and will inspire generations of young people to reach for the stars—quite literally! It builds on California's legacy of leadership in space exploration and is a tremendous gift to Los Angeles, our state and our entire country. I can't wait for it to open to the public and welcome more visitors into Exposition Park."

How we got here

Exposition Park welcomed thousands with the FIFA 2026 Summer World Cup and will open its doors to millions more with the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the planned openings of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Endeavor Space Shuttle at the California Science Center. Thanks to increased funding made available by the Newsom administration in partnership with the Legislature, Exposition Park will continue its transformation into a premier global destination.

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Brief history of Endeavour Space Shuttle

The Endeavour, the last space shuttle built, completed 25 missions. First launched in 1992, Endeavour made several historic flights to build the International Space Station (ISS), serviced the Hubble Space Telescope, and contributed to vital Earth and space science research. After its final mission in 2011, NASA selected the California Science Center as the permanent home for the space shuttle to highlight California's rich aerospace history. Every NASA space shuttle, including Endeavour, was manufactured and assembled in Southern California. Endeavour leaves an incredible legacy in space exploration, which it now shares with the world at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

Investments into the aerospace and defense sector

Within Governor Newsom's California Jobs First Economic Blueprint, the first statewide economic development strategy in more than 20 years, aerospace and defense is an "accelerate" sector — one where additional investments from the public and private sectors have the capacity to "bend the curve" to catalyze sustained growth, contributing an estimated $35 billion annually to California's gross domestic product (GDP).

Accordingly, the state has made a number of targeted investments into the sector over the past year, including:

Regional Investment Initiative
  • Last August, the state awarded $16.95 million to two projects designed to provide ecosystem support and uplift the aerospace and defense sector's infrastructure and workforce in the Central Coast.

CalCompetes Tax Credit Program
  • In the latest round of awards, announced June 22, Vast received an award to expand its space station research, development, and manufacturing footprint in Long Beach, investing $87 million and creating 657 new jobs.

In May of this year, the following aerospace and defense companies received awards:
  • Mach Industries, resulting in a $32.5 million investment to expand its defense technology manufacturing and research and development in Huntington Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco, creating 1,057 jobs.
  • Apex Space, resulting in a $165.5 million investment to expand its satellite manufacturing presence in Los Angeles and the broader Southern California region, creating 483 jobs.
  • Voyager Technologies, resulting in a $75 million investment to expand its Long Beach aerospace component manufacturing facility, creating 152 jobs.
  • Lanteris Space, resulting in a $16 million investment and the creation of 70 jobs to expand its satellite manufacturing facility in San Jose.
  • Last June, A.S. Aerospace received an award, resulting in a $19 million investment to continue manufacturing precision aerospace hardware in Palmdale and Santa Clarita.
  • Last November, Hadrian Automation, Inc. was a beneficiary, creating 650 jobs and investing $52 million in Torrance and Northern California to expand its aerospace component manufacturing. True Anomaly also received an award to expand its satellite manufacturing facilities in Long Beach, resulting in a $12.7 million investment and creating 400 jobs.

NASA Centers in California

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In the Golden State, NASA has three main centers and facilities focused on research, flight, and robotic exploration that all contribute to the state's economic competitiveness, create high-paying jobs, and inspire the next generation of explorers.
  • Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley has led NASA in conducting world-class research and development in aeronautics, technology, and science since 1939.
  • Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Edwards is NASA's primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects.
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena leads in robotic space exploration, sending rovers to Mars, probes to the farthest bounds of the solar system, and satellites to advance understanding of our planet. JPL manages the Deep Space Network, which is an international array of giant radio antennas, as well as a major center for quantum research at the Quantum Space Innovation Center (QSIC).

Generations of aerospace and defense leadership

California's role in powering human spaceflight stretches back decades. The Saturn V rocket that carried Apollo astronauts to the moon was built almost entirely in California and the original Apollo spacecraft itself was manufactured across the state. The Space Shuttle fleet was assembled in Palmdale; the first U.S. space station, Skylab, was built in Huntington Beach; and the RS-25 engine, originally developed for the Shuttle and now powering the Space Launch System for Artemis II, has been designed and manufactured in the San Fernando Valley since the 1970s.

As of late 2024, California is the top state in the country for:
  • NASA spending: NASA procurement spending at $5.8 billion, accounting for 25% of NASA's total procurement nationwide and resulting in $18.6 billion in economic output for California.
  • NASA-supported R&D: California's share of NASA procurement in the R&D services sector is 67%, representing 19% of NASA-supported jobs in the state.
  • NASA employment impact: Each NASA job in California supports an additional 35.7 jobs across the state, resulting in a total employment impact of 66,208 jobs.

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