Aug 10 1979
From The Space Library
Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle orbiter built, began its last trek across the United States from KSC to DFRC, where "its flight log books will be closed," said the Marshall Star. DFRC said the craft, which served as prototype in all Shuttle tests to date, would be trucked to Rockwell's Palmdale facility, where parts would be removed for additional testing and possibly used in constructing future orbiters.
Enterprise had made eight captive and five free-flight approach-and-landing tests at DFRC in 1977; it then was ferried to MSFC for ground vibration tests, then to KSC in April this year to check out facilities for handling Columbia, first Shuttle scheduled for launch. JSC Roundup later reported that 750,000 people had crowded airports during the return to California and that Enterprise was a two-day front-page story in area papers at each of the six stopovers and a lead story on television and radio. Donald K. Slayton, now program manager for Shuttle flight-test operations, piloted the T-38 chase plane flying with Enterprise and was spokesman for the Shuttle program during press briefings. (DFRC Release 29-79; Marshall Star, Aug 8/79, 1; JSC Roundup, Aug 24/79, 1)
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