description Space Shuttle Enterprise Overview
Space Shuttle Enterprise was NASA's first completed Space Shuttle orbiter and was built as a test vehicle rather than an operational spacecraft. In 1977 it performed captive and free-flight Approach and Landing Tests after being carried aloft by a modified Boeing 747, demonstrating the shuttle's low-speed handling and unpowered runway landing. Enterprise lacked engines and a functional heat shield for orbital missions, but its test results informed the design and operation of later orbiters.
help Space Shuttle Enterprise FAQ
Did Space Shuttle Enterprise ever go into space?
No. Enterprise, designated OV-101, was built as an atmospheric test vehicle and never completed an orbital mission. [NASA](https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19900004130/downloads/19900004130.pdf?attachment=true)
What did Enterprise test in 1977?
Enterprise performed the Approach and Landing Test program at Edwards Air Force Base in 1977. It was carried on a modified Boeing 747 for captive flights and then released for five free-flight glides and landings. [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/afrc_contributions_to_the_space_shuttle_program_ebook_tagged.pdf?emrc=6821a34b4dd32)
Why was NASA's shuttle test vehicle named Enterprise?
NASA originally planned to call OV-101 Constitution, but Star Trek fans sent a large letter-writing campaign to President Gerald Ford. The orbiter was rolled out as Enterprise on September 17, 1976. [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/history/space-shuttle-enterprise-makes-its-public-debut/)
Where can I see Space Shuttle Enterprise today?
Enterprise is displayed at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. It opened to the public in the museum's Space Shuttle Pavilion on July 19, 2012. [Intrepid Museum](https://intrepidmuseum.org/exhibitions/permanent-exhibitions/space-shuttle-pavilion)
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