The Space Shuttle that never reached orbit but proved it could glide home
In short: This video captures the historic 2012 flight of Enterprise, NASA's first space shuttle, as it was transported by a 747 carrier aircraft to New York. While Enterprise never flew in space, its atmospheric test flights were essential to the success of the entire Space Shuttle Program.
Enterprise was the first orbiter constructed for NASA, serving as a critical testbed for the shuttle program. In 1977, it conducted a series of approach and landing tests that demonstrated the orbiter's ability to fly through the atmosphere and land like a glider without power. Because it was built specifically for these atmospheric trials, it was incapable of actual spaceflight.
On April 27, 2012, the shuttle was flown from Dulles International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport, passing the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. After being demated from its carrier aircraft, it was scheduled for transport by barge up the Hudson River to its final home at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in June 2012.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: NASA Transports Space Shuttle Enterprise to New York
- Also: Enterprise Over New York - NASA
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