Exactly a decade ago, on 14 October, when the space shuttle Endeavour rolled into its ultimate resting spot at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, its 123 million-mile journey came to an end. The shuttle had to navigate around trees and street lamps throughout the 12-mile journey from the Los Angeles International Airport to the research centre, which took more than two days. In some situations, the Endeavour’s self-propelled mobile transporter, which could swivel the shuttle 360 degrees, helped the huge white spacecraft weave its way around the obstructions, but in others, dozens of trees were felled and traffic...