Editing Space Shuttle Enterprise (section)

==Service==
[[File:The Shuttle Enterprise - GPN-2000-001363.jpg|thumb|''Star Trek'' creator [[Gene Roddenberry]] (third from right, in dark brown), the ''Star Trek'' cast (with the exception of [[William Shatner]]) and NASA administrators attending ''Enterprise'''s rollout ceremony]]

Construction began on ''Enterprise'' on June 4, 1974.<ref name="tech"/> Designated OV-101, it was originally planned to be named ''Constitution'' and unveiled on [[Constitution Day (United States)|Constitution Day]], September 17, 1976. Fans of [[Star Trek: The Original Series|''Star Trek'']] asked [[President of the United States|US President]] [[Gerald Ford]], through a letter-writing campaign, to name the orbiter after the television show's fictional starship, [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']]. 

In an official memo, White House advisors cited "hundreds of thousands of letters" from [[Trekkie]]s, "one of the most dedicated constituencies in the country", as a reason for giving the shuttle the name.<ref name="popsci1"> [https://www.popsci.com/science/star-trek-space-shuttle-enterprise/ How Star Trek fans changed the name of NASA’s first space shuttle]. A declassified memo shows that 'hundreds of thousands of letters' called for a renaming. By Keith Wagstaff, Jan 11, 2025, Popular Science.  </ref>  Although Ford did not publicly mention the campaign, the president said that he was "partial to the name" ''Enterprise'', and directed NASA officials to change the name.<ref name="name">{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/shuttle/resources/orbiters/enterprise.html |title=Enterprise (OV-101) |work=NASA.gov |first=Kay |last=Grinter |date=October 3, 2000 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326061638/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/shuttle/resources/orbiters/enterprise.html |archive-date=March 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name="lewine19760906">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JGIgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2595,1284578 |title=Star Trek Fans Win on Space Shuttle |work=The Lewiston Daily Sun |first=Frances |last=Lewine |page=20 |date=September 6, 1976 |access-date=March 5, 2011 |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101140155/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JGIgAAAAIBAJ&pg=2595,1284578 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="strauss20140710">{{cite news |url=http://io9.com/declassified-memos-reveal-debate-over-naming-the-shuttl-1603073259 |title=Declassified Memos Reveal Debate Over Naming the Shuttle "Enterprise" |work=io9 |first=Mark |last=Strauss |date=July 10, 2014 |access-date=August 21, 2015 |archive-date=August 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824172529/http://io9.com/declassified-memos-reveal-debate-over-naming-the-shuttl-1603073259 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In mid-1976 the orbiter was used for ground vibration tests, allowing engineers to compare data from an actual flight vehicle with theoretical models.<ref name="tech"/>

On September 17, 1976, ''Enterprise'' was rolled out of [[Rockwell International|Rockwell's]] plant at [[Palmdale, California]]. In recognition of its fictional namesake, ''Star Trek'' creator [[Gene Roddenberry]] and most of the principal cast of the original series of ''Star Trek'' were on hand at the dedication ceremony.<ref name="Rioux2005">{{Cite book |title=From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy |publisher=Pocket Books |first=Terry Lee |last=Rioux |year=2005 |page=221 |isbn=978-0743457620}}</ref>

===Approach and landing tests (ALT)===
{{Main|Approach and Landing Tests}}
[[File:HaiseandFullertonEnterprise.jpg|thumb|[[Fred Haise]] and [[Gordon Fullerton]] (wearing oxygen mask) in ''Enterprise''{{'s}} cockpit, 1977]]

On January 31, 1977, ''Enterprise'' was taken by road to [[Dryden Flight Research Center]] at [[Edwards Air Force Base]] to begin operational testing.<ref name="tech"/><ref name="basics">{{cite web |url=http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/ |title=Space Shuttle Basics |work=NASA.gov |first=Kim |last=Dismukes |date=February 15, 2005 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |archive-date=November 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127050452/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

While at NASA Dryden ''Enterprise'' was used by NASA for a variety of ground and flight tests intended to validate aspects of the shuttle program.<ref name="alt">{{cite web |url=http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/ALT/HTML/ |title=Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) |work=NASA.gov |access-date=November 28, 2007 |archive-date=March 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315180758/http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/ALT/HTML/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The initial nine-month testing period was referred to by the acronym ''ALT'', for "Approach and Landing Test".<ref name="tech"/><ref name="ff">{{cite web |url=http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000218.html |title=Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight |work=NASA.gov |year=2000 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307094536/http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000218.html |archive-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref> These tests included a maiden "flight" on February 18, 1977, atop a [[Boeing 747]] [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]] (SCA) to measure structural loads and ground handling and braking characteristics of the mated system. Ground tests of all orbiter subsystems were carried out to verify functionality prior to atmospheric flight.<ref name="nasasf20120427"/>

The mated ''Enterprise''/SCA combination was then subjected to five test flights with ''Enterprise'' uncrewed and unactivated. The purpose of these test flights was to measure the flight characteristics of the mated combination. These tests were followed with three test flights with ''Enterprise'' crewed to test the shuttle flight control systems.<ref name="tech"/>

On August 12, 1977, ''Enterprise'' flew on its own for the first time.<ref name="Futz1977">{{cite web |url=http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1977/Space-Shuttle-Enterprise/12361881614363-5/ |title=1977 Year in Review: Space Shuttle Enterprise |work=UPI.com |publisher=United Press International |first=Bob |last=Futz |year=1977 |access-date=January 9, 2013 |archive-date=January 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105184202/http://www.upi.com/Audio/Year_in_Review/Events-of-1977/Space-Shuttle-Enterprise/12361881614363-5/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Enterprise'' underwent four more free flights where the craft separated from the SCA and was landed under astronaut control. These tests verified the flight characteristics of the orbiter design and were used to carry out several aerodynamic and weight configurations.<ref name="ff"/> The first three flights were flown with a tailcone placed at the end of ''Enterprise''{{'s}} aft fuselage, which reduced drag and turbulence when mated to the SCA. The final two flights saw the tailcone removed and mockup main engine nozzles installed. On the fifth and final glider flight, [[pilot-induced oscillation]] problems were revealed, which had to be addressed before the first orbital launch occurred.<ref name="alt"/>

[[File:Enterprise lifted.jpg|thumb|upright|A crane hoists ''Enterprise'' into the [[Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand|Dynamic Structural Test Facility]] to undergo dynamic testing in launch configuration.]]

===Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Test (MGVT)===
Following the conclusion of the ALT test flight program, on March 13, 1978, ''Enterprise'' was flown once again, but this time halfway across the country to NASA's [[Marshall Space Flight Center]] (MSFC) in [[Alabama]] for the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Testing (MGVT). The orbiter was lifted up on a sling very similar to the one used at Kennedy Space Center and placed inside the Dynamic Test Stand building, and mated to the Vertical Mate Ground Vibration Test tank (VMGVT-ET), which in turn was attached to a set of inert Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) to form a complete shuttle launch stack, and marked the first time in the program's history that all Space Shuttle elements, an Orbiter, an External Tank (ET), and two SRBs, were mated together. During the course of the program, ''Enterprise'' and the rest of the launch stack would be exposed to a punishing series of vibration tests simulating as closely as possible those expected during various phases of launch, some tests with and others without the SRBs in place.<ref name="Baker2011">{{cite book |title=NASA Space Shuttle: 1981 onwards (all models): An Insight into the Design, Construction and Operation of the NASA Space Shuttle |publisher=Zenith Press |series=Owners' Workshop Manual |first=David |last=Baker |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-7603-4076-9}}</ref>

===Planned preparations for spaceflight===
At the conclusion of this testing, ''Enterprise'' was due to be taken back to Palmdale for retrofitting as a fully spaceflight capable vehicle. Under this arrangement, ''Enterprise'' would be launched on its maiden spaceflight in July 1981 to launch a communications satellite and retrieve the [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]], then planned for a 1980 release on the first operational orbiter, ''Columbia''. Afterward, ''Enterprise'' would conduct two [[Spacelab]] missions.<ref name="should">{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/what-shuttle-should-have-been-the-october-1977-flight-manifest |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326192250/http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/what-shuttle-should-have-been-the-october-1977-flight-manifest |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |title=What Shuttle Should Have Been: The October 1977 Flight Manifest |work=Wired.com |first=David S F |last=Portree |date=March 24, 2012 |access-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref> However, in the period between the rollout of ''Enterprise'' and the rollout of ''Columbia'', a number of significant design changes had taken place, particularly with regard to the weight of the fuselage and wings. This meant that retrofitting the prototype would have been a much more expensive process than previously realized, involving the dismantling of the orbiter and the return of various structural sections to subcontractors across the country. As a consequence, NASA made the decision to convert an incomplete Structural Test Article, numbered STA-099, which had been built to undergo a variety of stress tests, into a fully flight-worthy orbiter, which became {{OV|Challenger|full=no}}.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Planned orbital missions<ref name="should" />
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | #
! scope="col" style="width:18%; background:#efefef;"| Date
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Designation
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Launch pad
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Notes
|-
| 1
| July 16, 1981
| STS-17
| 39-A
| Deployment of [[Intelsat]] V satellite and retrieval of [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]]
|-
| 2
| September 30, 1981
| STS-20
| 39-A
| [[Spacelab]] mission
|-
| 3
| November 25, 1981
| STS-22
| 39-A
| [[Spacelab]] mission
|}

===Fit checks===
[[File:Enterprise KSC 1979.jpg|thumb|upright|''Enterprise'' visited Kennedy Space Center LC-39A in launch configuration 20 months before the first Shuttle launch.<ref name="image">{{cite web |url=http://images.ksc.nasa.gov/photos/1979/captions/KSC-79PC-0274.html |title=Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise on Launch Complex 39 |work=NASA.gov |date=June 1, 1979 |access-date=January 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124130246/http://images.ksc.nasa.gov/photos/1979/captions/KSC-79PC-0274.html |archive-date=November 24, 2007}}</ref>]]

Following the MGVT program and with the decision to not use ''Enterprise'' for orbital missions, it was ferried to [[Kennedy Space Center]] on April 10, 1979. By June 1979, it was mated with an external tank and solid rocket boosters (known as a [[Boilerplate (spaceflight)|boilerplate]] configuration) and tested in a launch configuration at [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|KSC Launch Complex 39A]] for a series of fit checks of the facilities there.<ref name="name" />

After this period, ''Enterprise'' was returned to NASA's [[Dryden Flight Research Facility]] in September 1981.<ref name="ksc-pao-ent">{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/enterprise.html |title=Enterprise (OV-101) |work=NASA.gov |date=October 3, 2000 |access-date=November 7, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515233902/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/enterprise.html |archive-date=May 15, 2012}}</ref>  In 1983 and 1984, ''Enterprise'' underwent an international tour visiting [[France]], [[West Germany]], [[Italy]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Canada]]. ''Enterprise'' also visited [[California]], [[Alabama]], and [[Louisiana]] (while visiting the [[1984 Louisiana World Exposition]]). 

[[File:Space_Shuttle_Enterprise_in_launch_configuration.jpg|upright|thumb|''Enterprise'' visited Vandenberg SLC-6 in launch configuration 17 months before [[STS-62-A|the first West Coast Shuttle launch]] was scheduled]]
Between November 1984 and May 1985, ''Enterprise'' was again mated with an external tank and solid rocket boosters in a boilerplate configuration for a series of fit checks of the [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6|never-used shuttle facilities]] at [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]] in California.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 1, 2019 |title=40 Years Ago: Space Shuttle Enterprise rolls to the Pad |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/40-years-ago-space-shuttle-enterprise-rolls-to-the-pad |access-date=September 26, 2022 |work=NASA.gov}}</ref><ref name="lompoc20050929">{{cite news |last=Scully |first=Janene |date=September 29, 2005 |title=New era dawns for SLC-6 |url=http://lompocrecord.com/news/local/new-era-dawns-for-slc/article_bd0a0f6c-85c7-5d57-b11a-83523377aca9.html |access-date=June 8, 2017 |work=[[Lompoc Record]]}}</ref><ref name="telegramtribune19851016">{{cite news |last1=Fulks |first1=Tom |date=October 16, 1985 |title=Vandeberg opens new space shuttle base |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-vandeberg-opens-new-space-sh/122247704/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404064312/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-vandeberg-opens-new-space-sh/122247704/ |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |access-date=April 4, 2023 |work=[[The Tribune (San Luis Obispo)|The County-Telegram Tribune]] |location=[[San Luis Obispo, California]] |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

On November 18, 1985, ''Enterprise'' was ferried to Washington, D.C., where it became property of the [[Smithsonian Institution]] and was stored in the [[National Air and Space Museum]]'s hangar at [[Washington Dulles International Airport|Dulles International Airport]].

===Post-''Challenger''===
After the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' disaster]], NASA considered using ''Enterprise'' as a replacement. Refitting the shuttle with all of the necessary equipment for it to be used in space was considered, but NASA decided to use spare parts constructed at the same time as{{OV|Discovery|full=no}} and{{OV|Atlantis|full=no}} to build{{OV|Endeavour|full=no}}.<ref name="name"/>

===Post-''Columbia''===
[[File:Enterprise wing panel.jpg|thumb|Damage to the leading edge of the wing from the post-''Columbia'' impact tests]]

In 2003 after the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|breakup]] of {{OV|Columbia|full=no}} during re-entry, the [[Columbia Accident Investigation Board|''Columbia'' Accident Investigation Board]] conducted tests at [[Southwest Research Institute]], which used an air cannon to shoot foam blocks of similar size, mass and speed to that which struck ''Columbia'' at a test structure which mechanically replicated the orbiter wing leading edge. They removed a section of fiberglass leading edge from ''Enterprise''{{'s}} wing to perform analysis of the material and attached it to the test structure, then shot a foam block at it.<ref name="Harwood">{{Cite news |url=http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030604foamtest/ |title=Critical foam impact test planned for Thursday |work=Spaceflight Now |first=William |last=Harwood |date=June 4, 2003 |access-date=July 12, 2007 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083549/http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030604foamtest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While the leading edge was not broken as a result of the test, which took place on May 29, 2003, the impact was enough to permanently deform a seal and leave a thin gap {{cvt|22|in|cm}} long.<ref name="caib20030529">{{cite press release |url=http://www.caib.us:80/news/press_releases/pr030529.html |title=Shuttle Leading Edge Foam Impact Test Update |publisher=Columbia Accident Investigation Board |date=May 29, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030622092018/http://www.caib.us/news/press_releases/pr030529.html |archive-date=June 22, 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="usatoday20030529">{{cite news |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-29-shuttle-usat_x.htm |title=Test supports theory foam doomed shuttle |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Traci |last=Watson |date=May 29, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126025129/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-29-shuttle-usat_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nytimes20030605">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/us/nasa-s-foam-test-offered-a-vivid-lesson-in-kinetics.html |title=NASA's Foam Test Offered A Vivid Lesson in Kinetics |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=John |last=Schwartz |date=June 5, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=February 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090726/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/us/nasa-s-foam-test-offered-a-vivid-lesson-in-kinetics.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the strength of the [[reinforced carbon–carbon]] (RCC) on ''Columbia'' is "substantially weaker and less flexible" than the test section from ''Enterprise'', this result suggested that the RCC would have been shattered.<ref name="nytimes20030605" /> A section of RCC leading edge from ''Discovery'' was tested on June 6, to determine the effects of the foam on a similarly aged leading edge, resulting in a {{cvt|3|in|cm|adj=on|spell=in}} crack on panel 6 and cracking on a T-shaped seal between panels 6 and 7.<ref name="caib20030606">{{cite press release |url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=11742 |title=Foam Impact Test Breaks Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Panel |publisher=Columbia Accident Investigation Board |agency=Spaceref.com |date=June 6, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |id=CAIB PA 32-03 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218071619/https://spaceref.com/press-release/space-shuttle-columbia-investigation-foam-impact-test-breaks-reinforced-carbon-carbon-panel/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="swri2003fall">{{cite journal |url=https://missionjuno.swri.edu/3pubs/ttoday/fall03/pdfs/fall2003.pdf |title=On the Leading Edge |journal=Technology Today |first1=James D. |last1=Walker |first2=Donald J. |last2=Grosch |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=2–9 |date=Fall 2003 |issn=1528-431X |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090607/https://missionjuno.swri.edu/3pubs/ttoday/fall03/pdfs/fall2003.pdf |archive-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref> On July 7, using a leading edge from ''Atlantis'' and focused on panel 8 with refined parameters stemming from the ''Columbia'' accident investigation, a second test created a ragged hole approximately {{cvt|16|by|16|in|cm}} in the RCC structure.<ref name="sfnow20030707">{{cite news |url=https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030707impacttest/ |title=Foam impact test blows hole in shuttle wing panel |work=Spaceflight Now |first=William |last=Harwood |date=July 7, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=December 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213054355/https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030707impacttest/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="swri2003fall" /> The tests clearly demonstrated that a foam impact of the type ''Columbia'' sustained could seriously breach the protective RCC panels on the wing leading edge.<ref name="swri2003fall" />

The board determined that the probable cause of the accident was that the foam impact caused a breach of a reinforced carbon-carbon panel along the leading edge of ''Columbia''{{'s}} left wing, allowing hot gases generated during re-entry to enter the wing and cause structural collapse. This caused ''Columbia'' to tumble out of control, breaking up with the loss of the entire crew.<ref name="nyt20030708">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/08/us/test-shows-foam-was-likely-cause-of-shuttle-s-loss.html |title=Test Shows Foam Was Likely Cause of Shuttle's Loss |work=[[The New York Times]] |last1=Wald |first1=Matthew L. |last2=Schwartz |first2=John |date=July 8, 2003 |access-date=February 16, 2018 |archive-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217202840/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/08/us/test-shows-foam-was-likely-cause-of-shuttle-s-loss.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Museum exhibit===
====New Orleans, Louisiana====
[[File:Shuttle Enterprise at 1984 World Fair New Orleans 27 August 1984.jpg|thumb|''Enterprise'' on display at the [[1984 Louisiana World Exposition]] in New Orleans.]]
In 1984, ''Enterprise'' was on display during the [[1984 Louisiana World Exposition]] (World's Fair) in New Orleans.

====Washington, D.C.====
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 250
| image1            = Space shuttle enterprise.jpg
| alt1              = ''Enterprise'' on display in a black hangar filled with other space artifacts including the tops of Mercury and Gemini capsules, rockets and satellites, a Manned Maneuvering Unit, and other space artifacts. An American flag hangs on the wall of the hangar in the back. The Shuttle is resting on its landing gear with the payload bay doors closed, and museum visitors are kept away by stanchions. 13 visitors are visible in this picture, one group is wearing matching yellow shirts. There is ample room for more visitors.
| caption1          = ''Enterprise'' on display at the [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center]].
| image2            = Enterprise and Discovery.jpg
| alt2              = ''Enterprise'' and ''Discovery'' meet, rolling on their landing gear, seemingly nose to nose, along a paved path at Dulles airport. A throng of people standing on grass in the foreground has gathered to see the spectacle. Both orbiters have aeroshells covering the engine area.
| caption2          = ''Enterprise'' (left) stands with ''Discovery'' on the latter's delivery to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
}}
From 1985 to 2003,<ref name="nasasf20120427" /> ''Enterprise'' was stored at the [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]]'s hangar at [[Washington Dulles International Airport]] before it was restored and moved to the Smithsonian's newly built [[National Air and Space Museum]] [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center]] at Washington Dulles, where it was the centerpiece of the space collection.<ref name="hazy">{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/nasm_enterprise.html |title=Shuttle Enterprise at Center of Museum's Space Hangar |work=NASA.gov |first=Jim |last=Wilson |date=October 29, 2004 |access-date=November 28, 2007 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306144538/https://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/everydaylife/nasm_enterprise.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On April 12, 2011, NASA announced that {{OV|Discovery|full=no}}, the most traveled orbiter in the fleet, would replace ''Enterprise'' in the Smithsonian's collection once the [[Space Shuttle retirement|Shuttle fleet was retired]], with ownership of ''Enterprise'' transferred to the [[Intrepid Museum|''Intrepid'' Museum]] in New York City. On April 17, 2012, ''Discovery'' was transported by [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]] to Dulles from [[Kennedy Space Center]], where it made several passes over the Washington D.C. metro area.<ref name="nasa20120417">{{cite news |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/discovery_departure.html |title=Discovery Departs Kennedy Space Center |work=NASA.gov |first=Anna |last=Heiney |date=April 17, 2012 |access-date=April 17, 2012 |archive-date=April 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419055006/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/discovery_departure.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="washpost20120418">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/space-shuttle-discovery-makes-final-flight-over-washington-dc/2012/04/18/gIQAMtqcQT_story.html |title=Space shuttle Discovery makes final flight over Washington D.C. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Brian |last=Vastag |date=April 18, 2012 |access-date=April 19, 2012 |archive-date=April 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419055930/http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/space-shuttle-discovery-makes-final-flight-over-washington-dc/2012/04/18/gIQAMtqcQT_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After ''Discovery'' had been removed from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, both orbiters were displayed nose-to-nose outside the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center before ''Enterprise'' was made ready for its flight to New York.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/when-enterprise-met-discovery |title=When Enterprise Met Discovery |last=Camusci |first=Tiffany |date=August 31, 2018 |website=National Air and Space Museum |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |access-date=January 9, 2020 |archive-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721043238/https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/when-enterprise-met-discovery |url-status=live }}</ref>

====New York====
{{Infobox NRHP
| name                 = Space Shuttle ''Enterprise''
| image                = Space Shuttle Enterprise is lifted by crane (7402535806).jpg
| alt                  = 
| caption              = ''Enterprise'' being lifted onto the deck of ''Intrepid'' in June 2012
| nrhp_type            = 
| designated_nrhp_type = 
| location             = [[New York City]]
| added                = March 13, 2013
| visitation_num       = 
| visitation_year      = 
| refnum               = 13000071
}}On December 12, 2011, ownership of ''Enterprise'' was officially transferred to the ''[[Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|Intrepid]]'' [[Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum|Museum]] in New York City.<ref name="cspace20111212">{{cite news |url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-121211a.html |title=Intrepid Museum Celebrates Ownership of Space Shuttle Enterprise |work=CollectSpace.com |first=Robert Z |last=Pearlman |date=December 12, 2011 |access-date=January 30, 2012 |archive-date=January 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112135412/http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-121211a.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NAS">{{cite news |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/transition/placement/enterprise_transfer.html |title=NASA Transfers Enterprise Title to Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City |work=NASA.gov |first=Kris |last=Rainey |date=December 11, 2011 |access-date=January 30, 2012 |archive-date=February 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211074602/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/transition/placement/enterprise_transfer.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="prweb20111122">{{cite press release |url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/11/prweb8987493.htm |title=NASA Transfers Title to Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City |publisher=PRWeb.com |first1=Deborah |last1=Raskin |first2=Luke |last2=Sacks |date=November 22, 2011 |access-date=March 27, 2012 |archive-date=January 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129152844/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/11/prweb8987493.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> In preparation for the anticipated relocation, engineers evaluated the vehicle in early 2010 and determined that it was safe to fly on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft once again.<ref name="nsf100314">{{Cite news |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/03/enterprise-good-condition-potential-sca-ferry-smithsonian/ |title=Enterprise in good condition for potential SCA ferry from Smithsonian NASM |work=NASAspaceflight.com |first=Chris |last=Bergin |date=March 14, 2010 |access-date=March 16, 2010 |archive-date=March 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316230551/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/03/enterprise-good-condition-potential-sca-ferry-smithsonian/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At approximately 13:40&nbsp;[[UTC]] on April 27, 2012, ''Enterprise'' took off from Dulles International Airport en route to a fly-by over the [[Hudson River]], New York's [[JFK International Airport]], the [[Statue of Liberty]], the [[George Washington Bridge|George Washington]] and [[Verrazano-Narrows Bridge|Verrazano-Narrows]] Bridges, and several other landmarks in the city, in an approximately 45-minute "final tour". At 15:23&nbsp;UTC, ''Enterprise'' touched down at [[JFK International Airport]].<ref name="njcom20120427">{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/space_shuttle_enterprise_lands.html |title=Space shuttle Enterprise lands safely in New York, after soaring over northern N.J. |work=NJ.com |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=April 27, 2012 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |archive-date=June 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605022525/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/space_shuttle_enterprise_lands.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="wsj20120427">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304811304577369602130310414 |title=A Shuttle Meets Its City |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |first1=Pervaiz |last1=Shallwani |first2=Alison |last2=Fox |date=April 27, 2016 |access-date=June 4, 2016 |archive-date=August 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805120814/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304811304577369602130310414 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The mobile [[Mate-Demate Device]] and cranes were transported from Dulles to the ramp at JFK and the shuttle was removed from the SCA overnight on May 12, 2012, placed on a specially designed flat bed trailer and returned to Hangar 12.<ref name="cspace20120301">{{cite news |url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030112a.html |title=Space shuttle Enterprise lands in New York City on April 23 |work=CollectSpace.com |first=Robert Z |last=Pearlman |date=March 1, 2012 |access-date=March 22, 2012 |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305024610/http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-030112a.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On June 3 a [[Weeks Marine]] barge took ''Enterprise'' to [[Jersey City]]. The Shuttle sustained cosmetic damage to a wingtip when a gust of wind blew the barge towards a piling.<ref name="abcnews20120605">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/06/space-shuttle-enterprise-damaged-en-route-to-new-home/ |title=Space Shuttle Enterprise Damaged On Way to New Home |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |first=Alexandra |last=Ludka |date=June 5, 2012 |access-date=June 7, 2012 |archive-date=June 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607051156/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/06/space-shuttle-enterprise-damaged-en-route-to-new-home/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was hoisted June 6 onto the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan.<ref name="njcom20120604">{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/space_shuttle_enterprise_to_sp.html |title=Enterprise to spend day in Jersey City |work=NJ.com |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=June 4, 2012 |access-date=June 7, 2012 |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203144155/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/space_shuttle_enterprise_to_sp.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Enterprise'' went on public display on July 19, 2012, at the Intrepid Museum's new Space Shuttle Pavilion, a temporary shelter consisting of a pressurized, air-supported fabric bubble constructed on the aft end of the carrier's flight deck.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://phys.org/news/2012-07-space-shuttle-enterprise.html |title=Space shuttle Enterprise set to open to public |work=PHYS.org |first=Alex |last=Katz |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=November 3, 2022 |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104041037/https://phys.org/news/2012-07-space-shuttle-enterprise.html |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Enterprise nicked tail Sandy jeh.jpg|thumb|Damage from [[Hurricane Sandy]]]]

On October 29, 2012, storm surges from [[Hurricane Sandy]] caused Pier 86, including the Intrepid Museum's visitor center, to flood, and knocked out the museum's electrical power and both backup generators. The loss of power caused the Space Shuttle Pavilion to deflate, and high winds from the hurricane caused the fabric of the Pavilion to tear and collapse around the orbiter. Minor damage was spotted on the [[vertical stabilizer]] of the orbiter, as a portion of the tail fin above the rudder/speedbrake had broken off.<ref name="space20121030">{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/18282-shuttle-enterprise-intrepid-hurricane-damage.html |title=Space Shuttle Enterprise Damaged by Hurricane Sandy |work=Space.com |first=Robert Z. |last=Pearlman |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=October 31, 2012 |archive-date=November 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101194400/http://www.space.com/18282-shuttle-enterprise-intrepid-hurricane-damage.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The broken section was recovered by museum staff. While the pavilion itself could not be replaced for some time in 2013, the museum erected scaffolding and sheeting around ''Enterprise'' to protect it from the environment.<ref name="space20121220">{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/19004-space-shuttle-enterprise-repairs-museum-reopen.html |title=Shuttle Enterprise Being Repaired as Museum Home Reopens Friday |work=Space.com |first=Robert Z |last=Pearlman |date=December 20, 2012 |access-date=January 9, 2012 |archive-date=December 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222231816/http://www.space.com/19004-space-shuttle-enterprise-repairs-museum-reopen.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

By April 2013, the damage sustained to ''Enterprise''{{'s}} vertical stabilizer had been fully repaired, and construction work on the structure for a new pavilion was under way.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.space.com/20896-space-shuttle-enterprise-nyc-museum.html |title=Space Shuttle Enterprise's New Home Takes Shape at NYC Museum |work=Space.com |first=Robert Z |last=Pearlman |date=April 30, 2013 |access-date=June 17, 2013 |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606034833/http://www.space.com/20896-space-shuttle-enterprise-nyc-museum.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The pavilion and exhibit reopened on July 10, 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/space-shuttle-enterprise-reopens-nyc-visitors |title=Space shuttle Enterprise reopens to NYC visitors |agency=[[Associated Press]] |series=The Big Story |first=Jon |last=Gerberg |date=July 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820150804/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/space-shuttle-enterprise-reopens-nyc-visitors |archive-date=August 20, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''Enterprise'' was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on March 13, 2013, reference number 13000071, in recognition of its role in the development of the Space Shuttle Program. The historic significance criteria are in space exploration, transportation, and engineering.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000071.htm |title=Space Shuttle Enterprise |work=NPS.gov |publisher=National Register of Historic Places |first=Daniel A. |last=Bagrow |date=March 13, 2013 |access-date=March 22, 2013 |archive-date=May 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507170041/http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000071.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
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