(not the first, still the best) Enterprise

Space Shuttle Enterprise being hoisted into test tower on into the 420-foot Vibration Test Facility in Marshal Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, for a series of vibration tests to simulate an actual launch.

Date: April 22, 1978

De and others visited NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.

"The Space Shuttle Columbia rises off Pad 39A a few seconds past 7 a.m. (EST) on April 12, 1981. Onboard, astronauts John W. Young, STS-1 commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot, head toward an Earth-orbital mission which represents the beginning of a new era in space transportation. Thousands of people were in the area to view the historic launch."

Date: April 12, 1981

NASA ID: S81-30463, S81-30462, KSC-81pc-0371, KSC-81pc-0372, S81-30460

Atlantis (OV-104) during move from Rockwell International's Plant 42 to Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Date: April 9, 1985

Rockwell Photo: A850409 P-146, A850409 P-147

"Spotlighted Space Shuttle Columbia stands out dramatically against the night sky at Kennedy Space Center. The lights to the left of the Shuttle, also reflected in the nearby waters of the Center's environmentally rich lagoon system, outline the fixed and rotating service structures. The rotating structure, which obscures the view of the Orbiter when in place, has been retracted to allow modifications that will provide access to debonded insulation panels on the Shuttle's external tank."

Date: February 19, 1981

Happy 100th birthday, Gus. Born an entire century ago on April 3, 1926. I remember when I first began learning about Gus Grissom so many years ago, I looked ahead to this birthday as something exciting, special, and impossibly far, and wondered if he’d still be part of my life. And even as things have changed so much, Gus is still so much of who I’ve become.

Two things kept coming to my mind when I started to reflect on this centennial. The first is just an image of Gus as a baby—a composite of the few photos and stories we have from his childhood, the idea that the man so many of us know and admire as a commanding, funny, diligent, hard-working, hard-playing, dedicated astronaut was once, on this day 100 years ago, just a tiny infant in his mother’s arms, Virgil Ivan, already loved so deeply by those who would love him his entire life.

And the second thing is that on this 100th anniversary of Gus’ birth, humans are currently en route to the moon again. Few gave more to reach the moon than Gus, and Artemis underwent years of delays—the timing speaks for itself. It’s so poetic and beautiful I really can’t think about it without choking up.

STS-3 Columbia landing at White Sands, New Mexico. The first and only time the Space Shuttle landed somewhere other than Florida or California.

There were "strong westerly high level winds were in excess of system verification values. As a result, Columbia had to fly a less desirable high 'right base' turn onto final approach instead of the more usual and forgiving overhead pattern. At this stage in the test program the Orbiter had significantly less electronic energy management information available to the crew than on later missions."

"The final approach was in part flown by the shuttle's autopilot, but the autoland software was not complete so it could not include an automatic landing. Rolling out on final approach, the autopilot was reengaged, and responded by closing the speedbrakes (despite the orbiter being on profile), resulting in increased speed. The autopilot then commanded full speedbrakes, and kept oscillating like this for some time."

The shuttle was escorted by a pair of T-38 chase aircraft.

"Lousma left the autopilot activated in order to gather data on its behavior, but disconnected it again at a very late stage to touch down manually. The landing was also one of the more dramatic of the program, with the landing gear deploying at an altitude of 46 m (151 ft) at a speed of 509 km/h (316 mph) and locking just five seconds before touchdown. Early automatic speed brake closure had resulted in high speed on the inner glideslope and Lousma opted to touchdown fast rather than excessively long. The nose then began to lower at greater than planned airspeed and raised again right before nose-gear touchdown. Touchdown occurred at 16:04:46 UTC on March 30, 1982, on runway 17 at Northrop Strip."

-information from Wikipedia

"A public viewing site had been set up about 7 miles northwest of the landing strip, where an estimated 7000 spectators had accumulated on Monday when the storm occurred. Some 4000 returned the next day for the landing."

Date: March 30, 1982

NASA ID: WSTF-0382-0488

Posted by Dany Waller on Flickr: link

"In this view, the Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is seen heading South on Rideout Road with Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC'S) administrative 4200 Complex in the background, as it is being transported to MSFC's building 4755 for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at MSFC's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including Orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically."

Date: March 15, 1978

"Space Shuttle Project

The Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is off-loaded at Redstone Arsenal Airfield for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at Marshall Space Flight Center's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically."

Date: March 14, 1978

"The Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is off-loaded at Redstone Arsenal Airfield for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at Marshall Space Flight Center's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically."

Date: March 14, 1978

NASA ID: 7887819

Collection of the Intrepid Museum: P2014.88.01, P2014.88.03, P2014.88.05, P2014.88.07

The Boeing 747 SCA (N905NA) with Space Shuttle Enterprise taxiing to handling fixture at Redstone Arsenal Airfield. This fixture is a portable Mate Demate-Device and once removed from the 747, she will be towed to the Dynamic Test Stand for Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Date: March 13, 1978

Collection of the Intrepid Museum: P2014.88.02