The Endeavour had very big shoes to fill. The United States Congress approved its construction in 1987 to replace the Challenger itself, which had exploded like a firecracker live a year and a half earlier. And boy did it fill them. 25 missions, almost 300 days in space, 4,600 orbits of planet Earth, twelve visits to the International Space Station, and the farewell of a hero. Today, the Endeavour rests at the California Science Center, but photographer Ben Cooper had the privilege of photographing its interior, completely lit up, before the end.
Many believe that Endeavour was the last space shuttle to fly, but that detail belongs to Atlantis, which was part of mission STS-135. No matter, it's not a question of competition. Atlantis is at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. The Endeavour was sent to the other side of the country, for its final installation in California. photographer Ben Cooper recorded it with his camera masterfully: Its cabin completely lit up, as if it were ready for another mission. The rest of the images reveal different aspects of the shuttle, but one of the sections is particularly moving, with thousands of signatures on its walls...
