The Oschin Center represents a major expansion of California Science Center (CSC) operations and adds a 200,000 SF building dedicated to aviation and space exploration adjacent to the existing CSC building, which currently has 2 million visitors per year all of whom visit for free. The Oschin Center will feature the space shuttle Endeavour, which was acquired by CSC from NASA in 2012. All exhibits and the vertical support for the space shuttle will be permanently installed, NMTC-eligible, and have a useful life of at least 10 years.
CSC is an educational resource and family destination with the mission “To stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in everyone by creating fun, memorable experiences; because we value science as an indispensable tool for understanding our world, accessibility, and inclusiveness, and enrich people's lives.”
The Oschin Center will include three distinct galleries: Air Gallery, Space Gallery and the Shuttle Gallery.
The Oschin Center will feature: • 150 hands-on educational exhibits which will provide free-choice learning experiences for guests of all ages to learn basic scientific principles through experimentation and discovery. • 100 authentic artifacts, such as planes, satellites, and rockets, as well as 7 flight simulators. • Space shuttle Endeavour displayed vertically, in launch position, complete with a pair of real solid rocket boosters and the only remaining space shuttle external tank (ET-94). • A concourse which will be a dynamic, central gathering space for presentations and announcements of breaking news; it will be equipped with large-scale, state-of-the-art video projection; a reconfigurable stage; and flexible seating for special events as well as large-scale demonstrations and experiments. • A new Special Exhibits and Events Center.