What was special about the orbiter named Enterprise?

Fans of Star Trek asked US President Gerald Ford, through a letter-writing campaign, to name the orbiter after the television show’s fictional starship, USS Enterprise. In mid-1976 the orbiter was used for ground vibration tests, allowing engineers to compare data from an actual flight vehicle with theoretical models.

What happened to the Enterprise shuttle?

Enterprise was the first space shuttle orbiter ever built. It was used a test vehicle and did not fly in space. In 2012, Discovery took its final flight to the Udvar-Hazy Center. Enterprise is now on display at the the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

What are the 3 orbiters?

NASA retired its three operational orbiters at the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011 (Atlantis, Discovery, Endeavour).

What was the name of space shuttle OV 101?

Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise
Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise (OV-101)

Where is Space Shuttle Enterprise?

Enterprise was a prototype designed to test Space Shuttle behavior in atmospheric flight. Formerly located at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the orbiter is currently located on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid (CV-11) at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, New York.

When was the first Space Shuttle Enterprise?

On September 17, 1976, NASA publicly unveiled its first space shuttle, the Enterprise, during a ceremony in Palmdale , California. Development of the aircraft-like spacecraft cost almost $10 billion and took nearly a decade. In 1977, the Enterprise became the first space shuttle…

What is enterprise space ship?

The Making of Star Trek explains that USS means “United Space Ship” and that ” Enterprise is a member of the Starship Class”. The ship was changed to Constitution class with the release of Franz Joseph ‘s Star Fleet Technical Manual in 1975.