AT one time NASA and the Air Force had planned to launch Shuttle missions for this California launch site. In 1984 Enterprise was ferried to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for additional pad fit checks. In 1979 Enterprise was transferred to NASA Kennedy Space Center where she was mated with Solid Rocket Boosters and an External Tank for pad and processing fit checks.
#Space shuttle enterprise free
These flights consisted of lofting the Enterprise on top of a modified 747 and then letting the Enterprise fly free to glide in for a landing as an unpowered glider.Īfter these tests were completed Enterprise was used for a variety for ground vibration tests at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in 1978.
#Space shuttle enterprise series
After a series of captive tests, a series of “Approach and Landing Tests” were conducted at Edwards Air Force Base. Indeed, it is eerily reminiscent of the aft cargo bay of a Constitution-class starship.Įnterprise will have some famous company: Enola Gay, an SR-71, the first Boeing 707, a Concorde SST, the Apollo Lunar Quarantine Facility, and hundreds of other notable aircraft and hardware.Įnterprise flew only 5 missions on her own – all in early 1977 – none of which ever left the Earth’s atmosphere. If you have seen the immense museum in downtown Washington DC, stretch your imagination and picture a giant hangar-shaped structure easily capable of enclosing the entire downtown museum – with a lot of room to spare. While I was not present for this “rollover”, I recently visited the museum for the delivery of the XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft and am planning to attend a press preview briefing on 5 December prior to the museum’s formal opening.Īll images courtesy Smithsonian Institution. The Museum has been under construction for several years and is due to open to he public on 15 December 2003. Udvar-Hazy Center located to the east of Dulles. Her new home is the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F.
Instead of sitting in dark, unglamorous storage, Enterprise is now in a bright place of honor. This past Thursday, after spending exactly 18 years in a non-descript hangar at Dulles International Airport, just outside Washington DC, Space Shuttle Enterprise was moved to its new home.
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