Space Shuttle ENTERPRISE, OV-101
The first Space Shuttle was designated Orbiter Vehicle 101 (OV-101)by NASA and was to carry the name CONSTITUTION in honor of the US Constitution's Bicentennial. However, some groups had other ideas about the name of the "first reusable manned spacecraft"; fans of the TV science-fiction show Star Trek staged a write-in campaing urging the White House (President, Ford) to rename OV-101. The "Trekkers" had their way, and when the doors of Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale opend on 17 September 1976, the name on the side of the Orbiter was ENTERPRISE.
From: Space Shuttle, by Dennis Jenkins.
Orbiter ENTERPRISE milestones:
Contract award: 26 July 1972
Start assembly crew module: 21 June 1974
Start assembly aft-fuselage: 26 August 1974
Wings arrive from Grumman at Palmdale: 23 May 1975
Start final assembly: 12 March 1975
Final assembly complete: 25 August 1975
Roll-out at Palmdale: 17 September 1976
Transport from Palmdale to Edwards: 31 January 1977
Delivery to KSC: 10 April 1979
Flight Readiness Firing: --
First space flight: --
MISSIONS:
CAPTIVE INERT and ACTIVE FLIGHT TESTS
DATE DESIGNATION DURATION
FEBRUARY 15, 1977 OV-101/SCA TAXI TEST
FEBRUARY 18, 1977 CAPTIVE IN. FLIGHT-01 2 hrs. 10 min.
FEBRUARY 22, 1977 CAPTIVE IN. FLIGHT-02 3 hrs. 15 min.
FEBRUARY 25, 1977 CAPTIVE IN. FLIGHT-03 2 hrs. 30 min.
FEBRUARY 28, 1977 CAPTIVE IN. FLIGHT-04 2 hrs. 11 min.
MARCH 2, 1977 CAPTIVE IN. FLIGHT-05 1 hr. 40 min.
(note, orbiter unmanned )
JUNE 18, 1977 CAPTIVE AC. FLIGHT-01A 56 min.
JUNE 28, 1977 CAPTIVE AC. FLIGHT-01 1 hr. 03 min.
JULY 26, 1977 CAPTIVE AC. FLIGHT-03 59 min.
(note, orbiter manned )
The astronauts who flew Enterprise in 1977:
Gordon Fullerton, Fred Haise, Joe Engle and Dick Truly
APPROACH and LANDING TEST
AUGUST 12, 1977 ALT-1 (tailcone on) 5 min. 15sec.
(crew-1)
SEPTEMBER 13, 1977 ALT-2 (tailcone on) 5 min.
(crew-2)
SEPTEMBER 23, 1977 ALT-3 (tailcone on) 5 min. 34 sec.
(crew-1)
OCTOBER 12, 1977 ALT-4 (tailcone off) 2 min. 34 sec.
(crew-2)
OCTOBER 26, 1977 ALT-5 (tailcone off) 1 min. 55 sec.
(crew-1)
(*)crew-1, Haise, Fullerton. crew-2, Engle, Truly.
FERRY FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM
NOVEMBER 15, 1977 TEST FLIGHT 1 3 hrs. 21 min.
NOVEMBER 16, 1977 TEST FLIGHT 2 4 hrs. 17 min.
NOVEMBER 17, 1977 TEST FLIGHT 3 4 hrs. 13 min.
NOVEMBER 18, 1977 TEST FLIGHT 4 3 hrs. 37 min.
ENTERPRISE MILESTONE FLIGHTS
DATE DESCRIPTION
MARCH 10, 1978-
APRIL 10, 1979 GROUND TEST AT MARSHALL SFC
APRIL 10, 1979-
AUGUST 10, 1979 GROUND TEST AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
AUGUST 10, 1979-
AUGUST 16, 1979 PROMOTION TOUR USA
Enterprise flying over the UK during the Paris airshow trip in 1983.
MAY 16, 1983-
JUNE 13, 1983 PARIS AIR SHOW TRIP
MARCH 22, 1984-
NOVEMBER 13, 1984 1984 NEW ORLEAN'S WORLD FAIR
NOVEMBER 16, 1984-
SEPTEMBER, 1985 VANDENBERG SLC-6 FIT CHECKS (FVV)
For photos of SLC-6 and Enterprise at VAFB look here
SEPTEMBER 20, 1985 KSC DISPLAY WITH SATURN-5
NOVEMBER 18, 1985 HANDOVER TO NATIONAL AIR and SPACE
---- MUSEUM at DULLES int. AIRPORT
FOR PERMANANT DISPLAY.
JUNE 8-12, 1987 RUNWAY BARRIER TESTS at DULLES int. AIRPORT.
ENTERPRISE now sits in a hanger at Dulles International Airport, waiting
for public display.
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