‘Inspiration’ space shuttle rolls through the streets of Downey

After sitting in storage for years, the first space shuttle ever built rolled through the streets of Downey on Thursday.

The Inspiration shuttle was built in 1972 but it never went to space; however, it served as the prototype Rockwell International used to land the space shuttle contract.

During a ceremony, Downey's mayor Mario Trujillo said the shuttle is a part of the city's legacy because it was built there.

"Not only do we have the oldest McDonald's, the first Taco Bell, the birthplace of the Apollo Space Mission...and the birthplace of the space shuttle program," he said.

A crowd gathered along Bellflower Boulevard to watch the space shuttle go by.

"My son is actually skipping the morning from school because this is such an event," one woman told KNX News' Jon Baird.

"I think it's pretty awesome. Also pretty interesting for the city of Downey," another crowd member said.

The Inspiration will be reassembled before being put on display at a new exhibit hall at the Columbia Memorial Space Center.