Trees cleared as space shuttle comes to Earth

LOS ANGELES: The space shuttle Endeavour always had plenty of elbow room while soaring around Earth. But to make way for its slow 19km journey through city streets next month to its final destination at a Los Angeles museum, some trees must fall.

Clearing an unobstructed route that the retired spaceship may take from Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center will require cutting down nearly 400 trees and the temporary removal of hundreds of utility poles, street lights and traffic signals, officials say.

But the science centre, which is organising the twoday move, promised to plant 1 000 new trees in place of those taken down. It also has vowed to keep traffic problems to a minimum and avoid disruption of utility services.

“It’s quite an endeavour,” science centre president Jeffrey Rudolph quipped.

He said planning began the day after his museum was chosen in April last year as one of four permanent venues for Nasa’s newly decommissioned space shuttles.

The 75-ton spaceship is 37 metres in length, measures 24m from wingtip to wingtip and will stand more than five storeys tall.

It will be carried on a rolling platform at an average speed of 1.6km an hour.

The work is to cost about $10 million (R82m). – Reuters