NASA Unveiled Its First Space Shuttle, the “Enterprise”, 50 Years Ago Today – But It Never Flew Into Space

The name of the space shuttle, which rolled out on Sept. 17, 1976, was inspired by the starship from ‘Star Trek’

NEED TO KNOW

• On Sept. 17, 1976, NASA rolled out Enterprise, its first space shuttle
• Hundreds of guests attended the rollout ceremony, including the creator and cast members from the original Star Trek TV series
• The shuttle was never designed to fly in space, but instead was used in tests to prepare for the shuttle program

Unlike the fictional U.S.S. Enterprise from the Star Trek television series, the real-life space shuttle that shared the same name never made it to the final frontier. 

Fifty years ago, on Sept. 17, 1976, NASA unveiled its own version of the Enterprise as NASA’s first space shuttle orbiter, according to the space agency.

The origins of the space shuttle program began in 1972 when President Richard Nixon requested NASA to develop a partially reusable space transportation system that would “revolutionize transportation into near space.”

Construction of the shuttle started in 1974 at Rockwell International’s plant in Downey, Calif., the agency said, and continued for the next two years with final assembly done at Rockwell’s facility in Palmdale, Calif. 

The agency had intended to name the OV-101 orbiter Constitution. However, a letter-writing campaign mounted by 100,000 fans of Star Trek called on NASA to name it Enterprise, after the starship from the original TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. 

In a memo to NASA, President Gerald Ford lent his support to calling the shuttle Enterprise, explaining that he was “partial to the name.”

At the Sept. 17, 1976, rollout ceremony of the shuttle, hundreds of invited guests attended — including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and cast members DeForest Kelley, George Takei, James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, Leonard Nimoy and Walter Koenig, per NASA. The event also coincided with the 10th anniversary of the TV series’ debut.

Another rollout of the shuttle occurred the next day for the general public and Rockwell employees. 

However, Enterprise never made it off the ground, as the agency said it wasn’t designed to fly in space. In 1977, the shuttle was transported to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center (now known as NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center), at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where it was prepared for approach and landing tests. Those exercises laid the groundwork for the space shuttle program, which kicked off in 1981 with the launch of Columbia. 

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As for the Enterprise space shuttle, it was displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in 2003 before moving over to the Intrepid Museum in New York City nine years later. 

“Enterprise never went to space, but its lasting legacy and role in space history is undeniably clear,” read the Intrepid’s website marking the shuttle’s 50th anniversary rollout.

Star Trek itself celebrated its milestone 60th anniversary in 2026. The first episode of the original series, “The Man Trap,” aired on Sept. 8, 1966.