Space Shuttle Enterprise facts for kids

The Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) was a special spacecraft built by NASA. It was used to test how space shuttles would fly and land. Unlike other shuttles, Enterprise was not made to go into space. It did not have engines or the special heat shield needed to travel through Earth's atmosphere from space.

The Enterprise on a test flight in 1977

Another view of a test flight in 1977

Building and Testing the Enterprise

Built for Important Tests

The Enterprise started being built on June 4, 1974. It was finished on September 17, 1976. Its main job was to help scientists learn about space shuttle flights.

How the Enterprise Flew

In 1977, the Enterprise was used for many flight tests. Scientists wanted to see how the shuttle could be carried on top of a Boeing 747 airplane. They did three test flights where the shuttle stayed attached to the Boeing 747.

After these tests, they did five more flights. For these, the Enterprise flew like a glider, without its engines. Pilots practiced landing the shuttle at the Edwards Air Force Base. Some of the brave pilots included astronaut Gordon Fullerton, Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, Joe Engle, and Dick Truly.

After the Flights

After all the flight tests, the Enterprise was used for more experiments. It went to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. There, scientists tested how the shuttle would handle vibrations. Once all the tests were done, some parts of the Enterprise were used to build other space shuttles.

Its Special Name

The Space Shuttle Enterprise was originally going to be called "Constitution." But many people wrote to the President and asked for a different name. They wanted it named after the famous spaceship from the TV show Star Trek. And so, it became the "Enterprise"!

Where to See It Now

Today, you can see the Space Shuttle Enterprise up close. It is on display at the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. This museum is located near Washington, D.C..

Images for kids

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  Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry (third from right, in dark brown), the Star Trek cast (with the exception of William Shatner) and NASA administrators attending Enterprise's rollout ceremony

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  Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton (wearing oxygen mask) in Enterprise's cockpit, 1977

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  A crane hoists Enterprise into the Dynamic Structural Test Facility to undergo dynamic testing in launch configuration.

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  Enterprise visited pad 39-A in launch configuration 20 months before the first Shuttle launch.

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  Damage to the leading edge of the wing from the post-Columbia impact tests

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  Damage from Hurricane Sandy

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  Enterprise ALT program logo

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  Enterprise makes its first appearance mated with an external tank and SRBs en route to Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center

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  Enterprise at SLC-6 at Vandenberg AFB

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  Enterprise enroute to its new home aboard USS Intrepid

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  Enterprise underway on the Hudson River

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  Enterprise over New York. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Enterprise's present home, can be seen below

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  Enterprise at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in 2018

See also

In Spanish: Transbordador espacial Enterprise para niños