7 Things to Know About Space Shuttle Endeavour

See Endeavour's history in flight.

Historic Flight - Strapped to the back of a special, modified Boeing 747, NASA's space shuttle Endeavour arrived in California on Friday after a three-day jounrey around the country. Next month, it will be permanently housed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Keep reading for fun facts from Space.com about its history-making career. – Britt Middleton (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Historic Flight - Strapped to the back of a special, modified Boeing 747, NASA's space shuttle Endeavour arrived in California on Friday after a three-day jounrey around the country. Next month, it will be permanently housed at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Keep reading for fun facts from Space.com about its history-making career. – Britt Middleton (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Frequent Flier Miles - In its 19 years of space travel, Endeavour logged nearly 123 million miles (198 million kilometers) and orbited the Earth more than 4,600 times. In its final flights on Thursday and Friday, the shuttle flew over more than 20 of California's most famous landmarks and science institutions before making its final touchdown in Los Angeles. (Photo: JOHN G. MABANGLO /LANDOV)

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Frequent Flier Miles - In its 19 years of space travel, Endeavour logged nearly 123 million miles (198 million kilometers) and orbited the Earth more than 4,600 times. In its final flights on Thursday and Friday, the shuttle flew over more than 20 of California's most famous landmarks and science institutions before making its final touchdown in Los Angeles. (Photo: JOHN G. MABANGLO /LANDOV)

A Piece of History - The 75-ton spaceship was built as a replacement for the shuttle Challenger, which was destroyed in the January 1986 accident that killed all seven astronauts on board. Endeavour is the youngest member of NASA's now-retired space shuttle fleet. (Photo: NASA via Getty Images)

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A Piece of History - The 75-ton spaceship was built as a replacement for the shuttle Challenger, which was destroyed in the January 1986 accident that killed all seven astronauts on board. Endeavour is the youngest member of NASA's now-retired space shuttle fleet. (Photo: NASA via Getty Images)

Blazing a Path - The orbiter launched its first mission on May 7, 1992. The shuttle flew 25 missions in all, completing its final mission on May 16, 2011. It spent a total 299 days in space, docking at the International Space Station 12 times. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Blazing a Path - The orbiter launched its first mission on May 7, 1992. The shuttle flew 25 missions in all, completing its final mission on May 16, 2011. It spent a total 299 days in space, docking at the International Space Station 12 times. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Breaking More Barriers - Piloting the STS-47 mission in 1992, Mae Jemison, above, became the first African-American woman in space. Also onboard was Mamoru Mohri, the shuttle's first Japanese astronaut, and Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple to fly on the same mission.  (Photo: China Photos/Getty Images)

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Breaking More Barriers - Piloting the STS-47 mission in 1992, Mae Jemison, above, became the first African-American woman in space. Also onboard was Mamoru Mohri, the shuttle's first Japanese astronaut, and Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple to fly on the same mission.  (Photo: China Photos/Getty Images)

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Internationally Known - In December 1998, Endeavour delivered the Unity node, a bridge that links the "working and living modules" to the International Space Station, the first of two major pieces added on the American side of the space research complex. "By attaching Unity, it became a space station, and an international one at that," space historian Robert Pearlman told space.com. (Photo: Paolo Nespoli - ESA/NASA via Getty Images)

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Internationally Known - In December 1998, Endeavour delivered the Unity node, a bridge that links the "working and living modules" to the International Space Station, the first of two major pieces added on the American side of the space research complex. "By attaching Unity, it became a space station, and an international one at that," space historian Robert Pearlman told space.com. (Photo: Paolo Nespoli - ESA/NASA via Getty Images)

All in a Name - In 1988, NASA staged a national competition among elementary and secondary school students to name the spaceship based on a historic oceangoing research or exploration vessel. "The shuttle's namesake, H.M.S. Endeavour, was commanded by Britain's James Cook on his epic 18th-century voyage of discovery in the South Pacific (hence the orbiter's British spelling)," Space.com writes, making the shuttle the first to be named by children. (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images)

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All in a Name - In 1988, NASA staged a national competition among elementary and secondary school students to name the spaceship based on a historic oceangoing research or exploration vessel. "The shuttle's namesake, H.M.S. Endeavour, was commanded by Britain's James Cook on his epic 18th-century voyage of discovery in the South Pacific (hence the orbiter's British spelling)," Space.com writes, making the shuttle the first to be named by children. (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images)

Recycled Parts - Parts of the orbiter were taken from unused pieces from shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour was, however, the first shuttle to use a drag parachute during landing and also featured advanced avionics systems. (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images)

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Recycled Parts - Parts of the orbiter were taken from unused pieces from shuttles Discovery and Atlantis. Endeavour was, however, the first shuttle to use a drag parachute during landing and also featured advanced avionics systems. (Photo: Roberto Gonzalez/Getty Images)