photo courtesy NASA

Here’s the thing: the above headline may not be true at the moment. But it will be true and perhaps sooner rather than later.

The Expo Line has a target date of a partial opening in November and has multiple stops in the Exposition Park and USC area. And the California Science Center received word this week from NASA that it will become the new home of the Endeavour after it’s officially retired from duty.

Since the Endeavor is a mode of transport, I thought I would include it in “art of transit” — and I can’t wait to see it being towed to the museum from a nearby airport (perhaps LAX). Here’s more information about the above photo from NASA:

NASA’s 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft No. 911, with the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour securely mounted atop its fuselage, taxies to the runway to begin the ferry flight from Rockwell’s Plant 42 at Palmdale, California, where the orbiter was built, to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. At Kennedy, the space vehicle was processed and launched on orbital mission STS-49, which landed at NASA’s Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. NASA 911, the second modified 747 that went into service in November 1990, has special support struts atop the fuselage and internal strengthening to accommodate the added weight of the orbiters.

To submit a photo or photos of something transportation-related, post them to Metro’s Flickr group or email them to sourcemetro@gmail.com. The photos we’ve featured can be seen in these galleries on Flickr. Or click on the ‘art of transit’ in the categories box at right.