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Narrator: In May of 2011, the space shuttle Endeavour touched down at the Kennedy Space Center concluding

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its twenty-fifth trip into space.

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Since then, the orbiter has been undergoing preparations for public display at a California museum.

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From STS-49 in May of 1992 until STS-134 19 years later, Endeavour's crews completed 25 missions,

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flying more than 122 million miles, totaling 299 days in orbit.

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During Endeavour's final flight, the astronaut crew delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer

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to the International Space Station.

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The device is now used to search for unusual matter in space by measuring cosmic rays.

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Since Endeavour's return to Kennedy in June of 2011, work has been ongoing to prepare the spacecraft for

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display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

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One of the final steps in preparation took place on August 10th in Bay 2 of the Orbiter Processing Facility

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when final closeouts of the shuttle were completed.

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Appropriately, the last person out of Endeavour was Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana.

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A former astronaut, he commanded Endeavour on one of the most crucial missions

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of the shuttle's 30-year history.

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During that flight in 1998, the first American-built element was delivered to the International Space Station.

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Once out of the shuttle, Cabana joined United Space Alliance technicians in sealing Endeavour's hatch

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for the final time.

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Less than a week later, Endeavour backed out of its processing hangar and headed to the Vehicle Assembly

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Building, swapping places with sister spaceship, Atlantis.

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On August 16th, Endeavour left the Orbiter Processing Facility and Atlantis was moved

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out of the Vehicle Assembly Building.

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Along the way, both shuttles stopped for a "nose-to-nose" photo opportunity.

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Scores of Kennedy employees and news media were on hand to take pictures during the activity.

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Endeavour now is ready for a September 17th ferry flight. Once on display at the California Science Center,

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it will represent the shuttle program's legacy and inspire future generations of space explorers.

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The schedule calls for Endeavour to be mounted atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft,

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a specially modified Boeing 747, for the September 17th ferry flight across the country

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to its new home in Los Angeles.