The space shuttle program may be grounded, but that doesn’t mean the Space Shuttle Endeavour is sitting still. That’s right, NASA’s retired orbiter is on the move once again, and it’s getting a little help from a Toyota Tundra pickup truck. 

After recently getting dropped off at Los Angeles International airport, the Endeavour made its way along a 12-mile stretch of city streets to the California Science Center, where it will be on permanent display for the public to learn a little about its space legacy.

And, for part of that journey, the 300,000 pound space shuttle was towed by a well-branded Toyota Tundra. No modifications were made to boost the pickup truck’s factory 10,000 pound towing capacity, but extensive testing was done beforehand. And a specially-designed, trailer made it possible. 

If you have plans for a year-end road trip, it probably won’t include towing space equipment, but it will most certainly involve a trip to the gas station.

And thanks to the government’s fuel economy website, motorists can get a better idea of what it will cost and how much gas they’ll use to plan their trip. A new Trip Calculator takes all the guesswork out of your journey with its easy-to-use format for fuel economy information. Just enter your destination and what type of car you’ll be driving. From there you can type in a fuel price of your own, or stick with the national average, and the Trip Calculator will tell you exactly how many gallons you’ll use and what the fuel cost will be. 

If you have more than one vehicle to choose from, you can compare them to see which one will be the best choice, and it’ll even provide you with directions on how to get there.

A useful tool to help gauge fuel consumption and costs as drivers get ready to hit the roads for the upcoming holidays.Go to: www.fueleconomy.gov/trip/