Retired shuttle has Houston stop

Spacecraft have been a legacy for the city. Endeavour later will be put on display at science center in L.A.

HOUSTON — Waving American flags and space shuttle toys, hundreds of people lined the streets and crowded the airport Wednesday as they watched space shuttle Endeavour touch down in Houston on its way to be permanently displayed in California.

But for many, the experience was bittersweet, tinged with an aftertaste of having been cheated of something they believe should rightfully have been theirs.

Houston is home of the Johnson Space Center and an adjacent museum. Yet its bid for a shuttle was rejected after the White House retired the fleet last summer. Instead, Houston got a replica that used to be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center.

“I think it’s a pretty rotten deal, basically,” said Scott Rush, 54, of Crystal Beach, Texas, wearing a T-shirt proudly proclaiming that he had witnessed Endeavour’s final launch. “The one we’re getting is a toy. An important toy, but a toy nonetheless.”

Back-to-back delays in the ferry flight resulted in one day being cut from the Houston visit. But Wednesday dawned under bright sunshine, drawing hundreds of excited people, many of whom brought children or grandchildren along.

NASA still plays a large role in Houston, and astronaut Clayton Anderson, who lived on the In- ternational Space Station from June to November 2007, encouraged people to focus on a new era of space exploration.

“The shuttles are a wonderful legacy, a huge part of Houston, but now it’s time to look to the future,” said Anderson, who lives in the Houston suburb of League City.

Earlier Wednesday, hundreds gathered in Cape Canaveral, Fla., to bid Endeavour farewell. The shuttle will spend the night in Houston before continuing its journey to Los Angeles International Airport, where it’s scheduled to land Friday.

In mid-October, Endeavour will be transported down city streets to the California Science Center.

This is the last flight for a space shuttle. Atlantis will remain at Kennedy for display.

SMILEY N. POOL / HOUSTON CHRONICLE The space shuttle Endeavour, carried atop NASA’s 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, passes over the downtown Houston skyline during a flyover Wednesday.