Rocket Lab’s Electron Rocket Installed at CA Science Center
▼ Summary
– The California Science Center has completed the structural erection of its new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, including stacking the space shuttle Endeavour.
– The center is now focused on installing artifacts and fabricating exhibits for the new galleries, with most work underway across the country.
– The Kent Kresa Space Gallery has received its first artifacts: a space shuttle main engine, a shuttle solid rocket booster segment, and a Rocket Lab Electron rocket.
– The Electron rocket is highlighted as a significant next-generation technology from a California-based startup, intended to inspire visitors with local innovation.
– The 59-foot-tall Electron rocket is displayed vertically in a multi-story staircase opening, filling the space from the second level to the lower level 25 feet below.
The California Science Center has reached a pivotal stage in constructing its new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, shifting its focus from structural work to installing the exhibits that will bring the space to life. After more than three years dedicated to erecting the building and positioning NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour in a dramatic vertical display, teams are now concentrating on artifact placement and exhibit fabrication.
Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center in Los Angeles, explained the current phase. “We’re now full-on focused on exhibits,” he said. “Most are being fabricated in shops nationwide, and audio-visual production is actively underway.”
A major milestone was reached this week with the installation of the first artifacts in the future Kent Kresa Space Gallery. Named for the former chairman and CEO of Northrop Grumman and former chairman of General Motors, this gallery will eventually feature three thematic zones: “Rocket Science,” “Robots in Space,” and “Humans in Space.” It is designed to complement the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, home to the Endeavour orbiter.
Among the newly installed pieces are a space shuttle main engine, a walk-through section of a shuttle solid rocket booster, and a Rocket Lab Electron rocket.
Rudolph emphasized the importance of the Electron rocket’s inclusion. “Aside from the space shuttle itself, the Electron is the largest artifact we’ve installed, and we consider it highly significant,” he noted. “We are thrilled to showcase next-generation technologies from startup companies, especially those developing new launch vehicles right here in California. Our mission is to inspire people of all ages, and demonstrating that groundbreaking innovation is happening locally provides a fantastic opportunity to motivate the next generation.”
Founded in New Zealand in 2006 and now headquartered in Long Beach, Rocket Lab designed the Electron as the world’s first carbon-composite launch vehicle built specifically for the small satellite market. It also holds the distinction of being the first orbital-class rocket to utilize electric pump-fed engines. With 75 successful missions to its name, including five suborbital flights, the Electron stands as the third most-launched small-lift rocket in history.
Despite being classified as a small-lift vehicle, the Electron’s 59-foot (18-meter) height presented a unique installation challenge. A single floor in the Kresa gallery could not accommodate it.
“We positioned the Electron rocket at the core of a staircase in an open section that spans from the entrance on level two down to the lower level, which is 25 feet below,” Rudolph described. “The rocket stands upright in that opening and essentially fills the entire space.”
(Source: Ars Technica)