The satellites revolving near and around the polar orbit were launched from VAFB.ĭuring March 1966 and December 1968, the US Air Force acquired 15,000 acres of land from Sudden Ranch property situated south of the Vandenberg base boundaries at a cost of $9.8m. It was chosen as the West Coast Space Shuttle launch and landing site in 1972. The base is highly suitable for launching reconnaissance satellites into the polar orbit. The ‘Discoverer 1’ was launched aboard a Thor Agena booster on 28 February 1959. The first Thor ballistic missile was launched from VAFB on 16 December 1958. The base was renamed after a former air force chief staff General Hoyt S. The US Air Force transformed the base into a space and ballistic missiles test facility. It was considered the best place to conduct test firings of strategic missile weapon systems because the missiles can be launched into the Pacific Ocean without population overflights. The base was handed over to the US Air Force in 1957. The spacecraft was not equipped to travel to the final frontier.Įnterprise may have been NASA’s first shuttle orbiter, but it was constructed to be a test vehicle and was not built to travel into space.“The base is used for launching military, unmanned and commercial satellites into the polar orbit.” In 2012, Enterprise made a big move to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space museum in New York City where it remains today.ĥ. The test shuttle was put on display for eight years at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Then in 1985, the Smithsonian Institution took ownership of Enterprise.
In 1984, it was even barged to New Orleans for the World’s Fair! Between May 16 and June 12 that year, the orbiter traveled (bolted atop the SCA) to England, Germany, and Paris. In 1983, Enterprise went on a goodwill tour throughout Europe. Enterprise went on a goodwill tour throughout Europe. When Enterprise rolled out of the manufacturing facility, the cast of “Star Trek” was there to greet the shuttle (see image to the right), including actor Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock in the television series. This was something that had never before been seen in space program history.
SPACE SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE VAFB TV
However, fans of the popular sci-fi TV show, “Star Trek” began a massive campaign to urge the White House to select Enterprise as the name.
SPACE SHUTTLE ENTERPRISE VAFB SERIES
NASA named the shuttle after a classic sci-fi television series spacecraft.Īccording to NASA, Enterprise was originally going to be named Constitution, in celebration of the U.S. It was later discovered that there was a time delay issue with the shuttle’s flight control system, which was corrected through another research program.ģ. The final free-flight landing uncovered a problem with the orbiter’s flight control system.Īccording to NASA, during the fifth and final free-flight test, the orbiter experienced pilot-induced oscillation (PIO) upon touchdown (see clip below).
Engle and Truly flew the second and fourth flights. Haise and Fullerton flew onboard Enterprise for the first, third, and fifth free-flight tests. NASA chose another crew, NASA astronauts Joe Engle and Richard Truly, to alternate with Haise and Fullerton for the free-flight tests. Two crews of two were selected for the free-flight tests. Perhaps most importantly, these free-flight tests proved that shuttle orbiters could land upon their return from space.Ĭheck out these five fast facts about this series of free-flight tests as we remember Enterprise’s historic feat! 1. The mission was a success!įour additional free-flight tests were conducted that year.īoth the captive and free-flight tests proved that shuttle orbiters could fly atop the SCA in a piggyback formation, which was necessary to ferry shuttle orbiters from Dryden, where they would be landing, to Florida, where they would launch again. The shuttle orbiter and the SCA separated and then Enterprise was flying on its own (see video below)! Haise and Fullerton glided Enterprise down to the lakebed runway and safely landed. The release happened at 8:48 a.m., slightly behind schedule.
According to NASA, a crowd of roughly 65,000 visitors, 900 members of the press, and 2,000 special guests, had gathered to witness the historic event. the SCA accelerated down the runway with Enterprise atop in piggyback formation. Onboard Enterprise were two NASA astronauts, Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton. 12, 1977, Enterprise took the next giant leap in NASA’s space shuttle Approach and Landing Test (ALT) program: free-flight.Įarlier that year, Enterprise, NASA’s first space shuttle orbiter, arrived at Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California.įollowing eight captive-carry flights, which piggybacked off a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), Enterprise was finally ready for its first free-flight test.
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