This Day in History - Sept 17, 1976

[LateNight]

on this freakin' day in history.....

Sept. 17, 1976: Prototype Enterprise Rollout Launches Shuttle Era

1976: The space shuttle program officially begins when the orbiter Enterprise rolls out from its California assembly facility for eventual delivery to nearby Edwards Air Force Base.

Originally designated the Constitution, the name was changed to Enterprise following an aggressive write-in campaign by fans of the Star Trek TV series, who recognized symbolism when they saw it. President Gerald Ford concurred.

Built as a test vehicle for the space shuttle program, Enterprise (or OV-101 -- for Orbiter Vehicle 101, as it was known in NASAese) was not equipped for space flight. Rather, it was subjected to a variety of ground and flight tests to determine, among other things, the shuttle's flight-worthiness and landing capabilities. >> READ MORE

As cheesy as I thought all the Star Trek shows were.. always kind of bummed me out, this "Enterprise" never made it into space.