As a test vehicle, Enterprise played a crucial role in the future engineering of space shuttles. Originally meant to be named Space Shuttle Constitution, the orbiter instead took the namesake of the famed Star Trek starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), after President Ford reportedly received thousands of petition signatures from avid Star Trek fans across the country. My affinity for the Space Shuttle program begins there, during my time as public programs intern many of the events I helped coordinate were located right under Enterprise’s wings.Įven as the only space shuttle never flown in space, Enterprise accomplished much in its early years. Enterprise now finds its home on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, an aircraft carrier transformed into a New York City museum that welcomes over a million visitors each year. Space Shuttle Enterprise tells its own story, one of space showmanship and particular Star Trek significance. The two space shuttles were then brought nose to nose – an incredible scene and a true celebration of the Space Shuttle program from start to finish. As much admiration and pride as I have for Discovery, this is not my first space shuttle. Seeing the reaction of my fellow interns’ first time “meeting” the space shuttle reminded me of my first time seeing one. I remember the moment that my fellow interns and I first walked up to Discovery’s nose, marveling at the size and scope of the incredible orbiter. As a digital video archiving intern at the National Air and Space Museum, I handle and organize video media that continues to celebrate Discovery’s accomplishments in space, years after its retirement. My own experience with these two space shuttles is unique. Despite both being part of the Space Shuttle program, the two served very different purposes and tell very different stories. Space Shuttle Enterprise, the first space shuttle orbiter ever built, was once displayed where Discovery is today. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington, DC.īut Discovery was not the only space shuttle to have made its home at the National Air and Space Museum. Space shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies near the U.S.
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