john f. kennedy space center brevard county, florida - Environmental ...

Space Shuttle Program Historic Properties 3-6
NASA Kennedy Space Center
Between 1973 and 1977, several discrete system designs were adopted, tested, modified
or deleted. The SSME principal components, including the thrust chamber, turbopumps,
propellant injectors, and nozzle, were fabricated by Rocketdyne, who also conducted the
first preburner test at the SSFL in California in August 1973. The Integrated Subsystem
Test Bed (ISTB) test facility at the NSTL, now Stennis Space Center) was used for the
first full-up ignition test in May 1975, with the full thrust chamber ignition test conducted
in June 1975 (Biggs 1992). ET component testing started in 1974 and tests on the SRB
components began in 1976. Wind tunnel tests on integrated shuttle components were
started by 1977.
3.4.2 The Orbiter Enterprise
On September 17, 1976, the first Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise (OV- 101) was
completed. Designed for test purposes only and never intended for space flight, structural
assembly of this orbiter had started more than two years earlier in June 1974 at Air Force
Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. Major components, including the fuselage parts and
wings, were fabricated by Rockwell’s Space Division and its subcontractors. The forward
and aft fuselages were built at Rockwell’s plant in Downey, California; the mid-fuselage
was manufactured by Convair in San Diego; the wings were built by Grumman; and the
vertical fin came from Fairchild Republic (Heppenheimer 2002b:29). Other
subcontractors engaged in the production and testing of key components included
Aerojet’s work on the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS); the small thrusters built by
Marquardt, and the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) fabricated by Sunstrand.
The completed orbiter was originally slated to be named Constitution. However, as the
result of a massive letter campaign initiated by Richard Hoagland, a science advisor at
CBS News and devoted Star Trek fan, President Gerald Ford was persuaded to name the
orbiter after the famous television program starship. Thus, on September 8, 1976, OV-
101 was officially designated Enterprise. Roll-out of the Enterprise on September 17 was
attended by thousands, including Star Trek actors Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, and
DeForest Kelly.
Although the Enterprise was an aluminum shell prototype incapable of space flight, it
reflected the overall design of the orbiter. As such, it served successfully in 1977 as the
test article during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) aimed at checking out both the
mating with the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) for ferry operations, as well
as the orbiter’s unpowered landing capabilities.
3.4.3 Approach and Landing Test (ALT) Program
Initial flight tests of an aircraft resembling the orbiter were conducted concurrent with the
assembly of the Enterprise. These early approach and landing tests in 1975 made use of
the X-24B, a lifting body.
The ALT series was conducted at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (FRC) in
California between February and October 1977 using the orbiter Enterprise mated with
October 2007
Archaeological Consultants, Inc.