The Endeavour space shuttle has travelled at 28,200 km/h (17,500 mph) for most of its active life, in a weightless environment. However, on Earth, it is a cumbersome and rather large craft which can`t really be transported on public roads, unless they are closed and lined with people taking photos.
So, on the ground, the Endeavour could only be transported at very low speeds, to avoid damaging adjacent buildings, trees or signposts. The shuttle was towed by a Toyota pick-up truck at less than 3 km/h (2 mph), over a distance of 19 km (12 miles), so it took a really long time.
However, courtesy of The LA Times, we now have a three-minute long video, showing the entire journey in a stunning time lapse. You can really see and appreciate the scale of the operation, all the planning involved, and the fact that in the end everything wen smoothly and without a hitch.
However, courtesy of The LA Times, we now have a three-minute long video, showing the entire journey in a stunning time lapse. You can really see and appreciate the scale of the operation, all the planning involved, and the fact that in the end everything wen smoothly and without a hitch.