{"id":380925,"date":"2025-11-15T14:52:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T14:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/380925\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T14:52:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T14:52:20","slug":"downeys-space-center-breaks-ground-on-museum-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/380925\/","title":{"rendered":"Downey’s Space Center breaks ground on museum expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When I broke into journalism years ago as a fledgling Whittier-based high school sports reporter, one of my favorite side hobbies was asking locals what made their city famous.<\/p>\n

Downey was always an interesting test case.<\/p>\n

You’re reading the Essential California newsletter <\/p>\n

Our reporters guide you through the most important news, features and recommendations of the day.<\/p>\n

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a> and our Privacy Policy<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Some said Downey\u2019s claim to fame is the oldest standing McDonald\u2019s<\/a>, or the Stonewood Mall,<\/a> with some students boasting the rivalry between Downey and Warren high schools<\/a>. Some have also cited the title of the \u201cMexican Beverly Hills,\u201d<\/a> which I and colleague Gustavo Arellano <\/a>have always considered more appropriate for Whittier<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What wasn\u2019t mentioned enough about Downey, particularly among the high school-aged students I spoke with, was the city\u2019s ties to the Space Shuttle program. It was somewhat remarkable given the city\u2019s \u201cHome of the Apollo\u201d<\/a> nickname.<\/p>\n

Downey\u2019s reputation, especially among its younger residents, may reset soon thanks to a groundbreaking this Monday to announce the latest upgrade to the Columbia Memorial Space Center, a space museum that opened in 2008.<\/p>\n

Benjamin Dickow, the center\u2018s president and executive director, spoke with The Times about what to expect Monday and beyond. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s happening Monday?<\/p>\n

Astronaut Garrett Reisman, former Rockwell International and Boeing employees and area dignitaries will take part in a groundbreaking for an about 40,000-square-foot expansion to the existing museum.<\/p>\n

The museum\u2019s centerpiece will be a 122-foot-long, 35-foot-tall Downey-made space shuttle mock-up named the \u201cInspiration,\u201d which is not available yet for public display.<\/p>\n

The event begins at 10 a.m., rain or shine, and is located at 12400 Columbia Way in Downey.<\/p>\n

For more information, check out https:\/\/www.columbiaspacescience.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"This <\/p>\n

A rendering of the completed front entrance of the museum.<\/p>\n

(Nadia Gonzalez, on behalf of the Columbia Memorial Space Center)<\/p>\n

Space Center changes and expansion<\/p>\n

Dickow said the center was in the middle of completing the first of three phases, to be finished before the L.A. Olympics.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce the major construction really gets going, it\u2019s about an 18-month process,\u201d he said, \u201cbut if something happens with the shuttle, it\u2019s going to add some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of the first phase began in October 2024, when the partially-covered wood and plastic model was paraded down Bellflower Boulevard<\/a> from a city maintenance yard to a temporary housing unit.<\/p>\n

The expansion, known as the Downey Space Shuttle Exhibit and Education Building, would include a new two-story, 29,000-square-foot space shuttle museum, event courtyard, STEM building and courtyard, children\u2019s outdoor classroom, pavilion, lawn and other amenities.<\/p>\n

The space shuttle mock-up is also undergoing a \u201cprocess of rehab and refurbishment,\u201d according to Dickow, but is in \u201cgenerally great shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main work is getting it ready for the public, where visitors will be able to enter and get a sense of what it\u2019s like inside a space shuttle,\u201d Dickow said.<\/p>\n

Astronauts would typically access the flight deck, mid-deck and crew compartment through a hatch, according to Dickow.<\/p>\n

According to renderings, guests will instead enter through a much more accessible stairwell that puts visitors inside a cargo bay.<\/p>\n

\"This <\/p>\n

A rendering of the space shuttle mock-up, dubbed \u201cInspiration,\u201d at its place in the center of the museum expansion.<\/p>\n

(Nadia Gonzalez, on behalf of the Columbia Memorial Space Center)<\/p>\n

What is the mock-up and what\u2019s its tie to Downey?<\/p>\n

The shuttle mock-up\u2019s history with Downey spans decades.<\/p>\n

North American Rockwell International, now part of Boeing, built the prototype in 1972 at its Downey facility. The space shuttle became the world\u2019s first reusable winged orbiting spaceship.<\/p>\n

In total, 12,000 workers developed and manufactured the shuttle at the program\u2019s peak on a sprawling 120-acre campus.<\/p>\n

From April 12, 1981, through July 21, 2011, NASA fleets of shuttles flew<\/a> 135 missions and helped build the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

One of those shuttles \u2014 Endeavour \u2014 was hauled into the middle of its future home, the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at Exposition Park,<\/a> in January 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That museum is also expected to be open before the Olympics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be something that the L.A. area will be able to show off to people from around the world and I want to make sure we\u2019re a part of that,\u201d Dickow said. \u201cDowney and Southeast L.A. sometimes don\u2019t get a lot of the spotlight and this is something that we\u2019ll be able to put out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The week\u2019s biggest stories \"Pedestrians <\/p>\n

Pedestrians cross the street in downtown Los Angeles under light rain on Friday.<\/p>\n

(Eric Thayer \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

SoCal treads through stormy weatherRebuilding after January firesOpposition to immigration forces in CaliforniaA Sacramento corruption bombshell<\/p>\n