| On This Day in American History |
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On September 17, 1976, NASA unveils the first Space Shuttle prototype, the Enterprise. Designed for atmospheric test flights only, Enterprise did not have engines or a heat shield. Its first test was conducted on February 18, 1977, when it was carried aloft on a Boeing 747. Later that year, it flew on its own for the first time. These so-called “Approach and Landing Tests” paved the way for real missions when the shuttle re-entered the atmosphere and glided toward a landing similar to an airplane. Enterprise was named after the fictional spaceship in the popular science fiction franchise, Star Trek. Most of the original cast attended Enterprise’s unveiling. |
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