Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight
(1977) The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise flies free after being released from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over Rogers Dry Lakebed during the second of five free flights carried out at the Dry... more
STS-51 G Launch
(June 17, 1985) On June 17, 1985, Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-51 G mission launched on a Comsat deployment mission. It deployed three communication satellites. The mission lasted a little over seven days. ..I... more
Lockheed JF-104A (AF56-745A Tail No. 60745) Starfighter airplane piloted by Fred Drinkwater conducted flight testing that demonstrated steep approaches that were ultimately used by the space shuttle. Steep descent testing, including power-off landing approaches and demonstration of minimum lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) landings came out of the interest in the use of low L/D lifting bodies for recovery to landing from space. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig 93 ARC-1959-A-24953
Lockheed JF-104A (AF56-745A Tail No. 60745) Starfighter airplane piloted by Fred Drinkwater conducted flight testing that demonstrated steep approaches that were ultimately used by the space shuttle. Steep de... more
MSC Space Shuttle Model stability and control characteristics test in 9x7ft w.t. (test number not available) ARC-1970-AC70-4712
MSC Space Shuttle Model stability and control characteristics test in 9x7ft w.t. (test number not available)
PILOT KENNETH C. WHITE IN CHAIR. Space Shuttle Vehicle Simulation. SSV COCKPIT IN THE MOVING-CAB TRANSPORT SIMULATOR (S.16) ARC-1970-AC70-5441
PILOT KENNETH C. WHITE IN CHAIR. Space Shuttle Vehicle Simulation. SSV COCKPIT IN THE MOVING-CAB TRANSPORT SIMULATOR (S.16)
North American Space Shuttle Orbiter Model NA129 surface heating and boundary layer transition test in 3.5ft w.t. ARC-1971-AC71-5323
North American Space Shuttle Orbiter Model NA129 surface heating and boundary layer transition test in 3.5ft w.t.
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of a Hollow Tube in 6ft. W.T. Test-66-503 Approximate Mach 1.2 ARC-1971-AC71-4074
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of a Hollow Tube in 6ft. W.T. Test-66-503 Approximate Mach 1.2
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. Test-66-503 ARC-1971-AC71-4076
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. Test-66-503
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. test-66-503 ARC-1971-AC71-4077
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 6ft w.t. test-66-503
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95 ARC-1971-AC71-4075
MSC Space Shuttle Stability and Control Characteristics. Schlieren of North American Rockwell Straight Wing orbiter approximate Mach .95
President Nixon and James Fletcher Discuss the Space Shuttle
President Richard M. Nixon and Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, discussed the proposed Space Shuttle vehicle in San Clemente, California, on January 5, 1972. The President announced that day that the ... more
MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Test of Acoustic Environment (Configuration #5) ARC-1972-A72-1341
MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Test of Acoustic Environment (Configuration #5)
MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Tests pf Acoustic Environment (Configuration 5 with James M. Peterson ARC-1972-AC72-1344
MSC 040A Space Shuttle: 11ft. W.T. Tests pf Acoustic Environment (Configuration 5 with James M. Peterson
Space Shuttle Project
This early chart conceptualizes the use of two parallel Solid Rocket Motor Boosters in conjunction with three main engines to launch the proposed Space Shuttle to orbit. At approximately twenty-five miles altit... more
Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA ARC-1972-AC72-2696
Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA
Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA (Shuttle un-powered descent and landing diagram) ARC-1972-AC72-2695
Guidance and Navaigation: CV-990 Shuttle simulation - descent at Edwards Airforce Base, Dryden Flight Research Center, CA (Shuttle un-powered descent and landing diagram)
BLDG. 14 - SHUTTLE TEST - MSC
1/10 Scale-Model (metal) inside the Anechoic Chamber, Bldg. 14. 1. SHUTTLE - MODELS MSC, HOUSTON, TX
Too Close for Comfort
Date August 10, 1973 .Description: Scientist-Astronaut Edward G. Gibson, seated, and Astronaut William R. Pogue discuss a mission procedure at the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) display and control panel mockup i... more
Space Shuttle Illustration
An unidentified illustration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) space shuttle. The space shuttle fleet flew 135 missions and helped construct the International Space Station between ... more
Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel ARC-1973-A73-5027
Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel
Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel ARC-1973-AC73-5027
Space Shuttle Orbitor model 140 A/B-OA87 testing in the 3.5ft Hypersonic Wind Tunnel
Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities ARC-1974-AC74-2000
Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities
Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities ARC-1974-AC74-2002
Space Shuttle Tile Thermal Protection System testing in Ames Arc Jet facilities
MEETING - SHUTTLE - JSC
View taken in Building 2, Room 135, during a Shuttle briefing. Shuttle officials Robert Thompson and Aaron Cohen and Astronaut John Young are seen as panel for the Shuttle briefing with various models of the Sp... more
Space Shuttle Two Percent Plumes Model in the 11ft W.T. (Test-01) ARC-1974-AC74-3944
Space Shuttle Two Percent Plumes Model in the 11ft W.T. (Test-01)
Shuttle Test Using Electron Beam
A space shuttle model undergoes a wind tunnel test in 1975. This test is simulating the ionized gasses that surround a shuttle as it reenters the atmosphere...Center Number: L-1975-02972
Space Shuttle - Thermal Insulation
The high temperatures which were to be encountered by the Space Shuttle were simulated in the tunnels at Langley in this 1975 test of the thermal insulation materials which were used on the orbiter.
Space Shuttle Projects
The Space Shuttle represented an entirely new generation of space vehicle, the world's first reusable spacecraft. Unlike earlier expendable rockets, the Shuttle was designed to be launched over and over again a... more
Solid Rocket Booster - Space Shuttle Projects
As early as September 1972, the Marshall Space Flight Center arnounced plans for a series of 20 water-entry simulation tests with a solid-fueled rocket casing assembly. The tests would provide valuable data for... more
Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-0207
Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t.
Schlieren: Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-0205
Schlieren: Space Shuttle Plume Test-97-044-1 in 9x7ft w.t.
Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) in the 40x80ft W.T. ARC-1975-AC75-1161-3
Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) in the 40x80ft W.T.
Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) testing in the NASA Ames Research Center 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel ARC-1975-AC75-1161-4
Space Shuttle Orbitor Model (A-100) testing in the NASA Ames Research Center 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel
Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.
Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model A100 0.36 Scale In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel. 3/4 lower rear view. Don Richey
Space Shuttle SSV Orbiter Model In 40x80 Foot Wind Tunnel.
1/3 scale model of space shuttle, 3/4 lower front view, test section overhead doors open. Don Richey
Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-1191
Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t.
Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t. ARC-1975-AC75-1190
Space Shuttle SSV orbiter model OA100 (0.36 scale): 40x80ft w.t.
Space Shuttle Model in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Ken Baskin, an engineer from the Facilities and Engineering Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Lewis Research Center checks a complete 2.25-scale model of the shuttle in the 10... more
Shuttle Service (view of spacecraft). Space shuttle delivers part for Space Colony ARC-1975-AC75-1917
Shuttle Service (view of spacecraft). Space shuttle delivers part for Space Colony
Space Shuttle re-entry art ARC-1975-AC75-1919
Space Shuttle re-entry art
This diagram illustrates the Space Shuttle mission sequence. The Space Shuttle was approved as a national program in 1972 and developed through the 1970s. Part spacecraft and part aircraft, the Space Shuttle orbiter, the brain and the heart of the Space Transportation System (STS), required several technological advances, including thousands of insulating tiles able to stand the heat of reentry over the course of many missions, as well as sophisticated engines that could be used again and again without being thrown away. The airplane-like orbiter has three main engines, that burn liquid hydrogen and oxygen stored in the large external tank, the single largest structure in the Shuttle. Attached to the tank are two solid rocket boosters that provide the vehecile with most of the thrust needed for liftoff. Two minutes into the flight, the spent solids drop into the ocean to be recovered and refurbished for reuse, while the orbiter engines continue burning until approximately 8 minutes into the flight. After the mission is completed, the orbiter lands on a runway like an airplane. n/a
This diagram illustrates the Space Shuttle mission sequence. The Space Shuttle was approved as a national program in 1972 and developed through the 1970s. Part spacecraft and part aircraft, the Space Shuttle or... more
Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the 40x80ft W.T. Test 462 ARC-1975-AC75-2582
Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the 40x80ft W.T. Test 462
Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel. Test-462 ARC-1975-AC75-2584
Space Shuttle Orbiter 101 model installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Subsonic Wind Tunnel. Test-462
Space Shuttle A-100 installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Supsonic Wind Tunnel. ARC-1975-AC75-2583
Space Shuttle A-100 installation in the NASA Ames 40x80ft Supsonic Wind Tunnel.
TEST - SHUTTLE - MINI-APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - JSC
Seen left to right is Art Arrow,Owen Morris, and John Kiker. This is an image in a series of photographs documenting a " mini "Approach and Landing Test conducted on the Bldg. 14 Antenna Test Range, using a 1/... more
TEST - SHUTTLE - MINI-APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - JSC
Owen Morris and John Kiker are seen in this series of photographs documenting a mini-Approach and Landing Test conducted on the Bldg. 14 Antenna Test Range, using a 1/40th-scale model Orbiter and a model airpl... more
Haise Commands First Enterprise Test Flights
The first crew members for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) are photographed at the Rockwell International Space Division's Orbiter Assembly Facility at Palmdale, California. The Shuttle Enter... more
Boosters - Space Shuttle Projects
This image illustrates the solid rocket motor (SRM)/solid rocket booster (SRB) configuration. The Shuttle's two SRB's are the largest solids ever built and the first designed for refurbishment and reuse. Standi... more
External tank - Space Shuttle Projects
This is a cutaway illustration of the Space Shuttle external tank (ET) with callouts. The giant cylinder, higher than a 15-story building, with a length of 154-feet (47-meters) and a diameter of 27.5-feet (8.4-... more
Mockup - Shuttle Mid-Body - JSC
Eleven (11) wide-angle views and medium shots showing progess on construction of Shuttle Orbiter Mid-Body Mockup in Bldg. 9. Workers seen in views. JSC, Houston, TX
SPACE SHUTTLE VEHICLE (SSV) 0.36 SCALE MODEL, 40X80FT W.T. TESTING - TAIL FLAPS ARC-1976-AC76-0430-3
SPACE SHUTTLE VEHICLE (SSV) 0.36 SCALE MODEL, 40X80FT W.T. TESTING - TAIL FLAPS
Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV) 0.36 scale model, 40x80ft w.t. testing ARC-1976-AC76-0430-4
Space Shuttle Vehicle (SSV) 0.36 scale model, 40x80ft w.t. testing
APPROACH AND LANDING TEST (ALT) - ASTRONAUT HAISE, FRED W., JR. - SHUTTLE - ROLLOUT - CA
S76-29562 --- The two crews for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) are photographed at the Rockwell International Space Division's Orbiter assembly facility at Palmdale, California on the day of... more
APPROACH AND LANDING TESTS (ALT) - SHUTTLE - ROLLOUT - CA
S76-29559 (17 Sept 1976) --- Astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton, pilot of the first crew for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT), is photographed at the Rockwell International Space Division's Orbiter... more
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shuttle service and access tower SSAT, left, is assembled at Launch Complex 39A from sections of launch umbilical tower 3. The lower 180 feet of the old ML-3 will be topped by the former uppermost section on which a hammerhead crane will be installed and the next lower section which houses the intact ML-3 elevator room and equipment. The SSAT will anchor and support a hinge column to the Payload Changeout Room PCR which will travel on a rail in a specified area to enclose the space shuttle's cargo bay on the pad for installation or removal of payloads. Mobile Launcher 2, center right, is on the pad to support the PCR during construction. Photo Credit: NASA KSC-76PC-0541
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the shuttle service and access tower SSAT, left, is assembled at Launch Complex 39A from sections of launch umbilical tower 3. The lower 180 feet ... more
APPROACH & LANDING TEST (ALT) - SHUTTLE PATCH
S76-30340 (1976) --- This circular, red, white and blue emblem has been chosen as the official insignia for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Test (ALT) flights. A picture of the Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" ... more
Artist: Rick Guidice NASA artwork of Space Shuttle Orbiter during re-entry showing Reusable Surface Insulation Tiles. (Text overlay) ARC-1976-AC76-1713
Artist: Rick Guidice NASA artwork of Space Shuttle Orbiter during re-entry showing Reusable Surface Insulation Tiles. (Text overlay)
Space Shuttle tile test in 60MW Interaction Heating Facility N-238 (used in NASA/AMES publication 'Searching the Horizon' - A History of Ames Research Center SP-4304) ARC-1976-A76-1732-85
Space Shuttle tile test in 60MW Interaction Heating Facility N-238 (used in NASA/AMES publication 'Searching the Horizon' - A History of Ames Research Center SP-4304)
SPACE SHUTTLE AND 747 AIRPLANE
The original finding aid described this as: Capture Date: 6/14/1977 Keywords: c1977_02300s 1977_02303.jpg Larsen Scan Photographs Relating to Agency Activities, Facilities and Personnel
SPACE SHUTTLE AND 747 AIRPLANE
The original finding aid described this as: Capture Date: 6/14/1977 Keywords: c1977_02300s 1977_02305.jpg Larsen Scan Photographs Relating to Agency Activities, Facilities and Personnel
SPACE SHUTTLE AND 747 AIRPLANE
The original finding aid described this as: Capture Date: 6/14/1977 Keywords: c1977_02300s 1977_02304.jpg Larsen Scan Photographs Relating to Agency Activities, Facilities and Personnel
SPACE SHUTTLE AND 747 AIRPLANE
The original finding aid described this as: Capture Date: 6/14/1977 Keywords: c1977_02300s 1977_02306.jpg Larsen Scan Photographs Relating to Agency Activities, Facilities and Personnel
Space Shuttle Project
MSFC, Ala. -- The Space Shuttle Orbiter simulator is hoisted into the giant dynamics test stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. The simulator was built at the Marshall Center for use in... more
Solid Rocket Booster - Space Shuttle Projects
This illustration is a cutaway of the solid rocket booster (SRB) sections with callouts. The Shuttle's two SRB's are the largest solids ever built and the first designed for refurbishment and reuse. Standing ne... more
The President viewing Space Shuttle in Flight
Carter White House Photographs: Presidential
Space Shuttle Projects
This photograph shows an inside view of a liquid hydrogen tank for the Space Shuttle external tank (ET) Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA). The ET provides liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the Shuttle's th... more
Technician Works on a Shuttle Model in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel
A technician prepares a 2.25 percent scale model of the space shuttle for a base heat study in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Researc... more
First Shuttle/747 Captive Flight EC77-6887
First Shuttle/747 Captive Flight
Space Shuttle Projects
This photograph shows the liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank for the Space Shuttle external tank (ET) being assembled in the weld assembly area of the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). The ET provides l... more
Training - Shuttle - Emergency Egress - JSC
Twelve (12) views of Shuttle emergency training in JSC, Bldg. 9A. Training Officer R. Terry Neal with Astronaut Gerald P. Carr. 1. Astronaut Gerald P. Carr 2. Terry Neal JSC, Houston, TX
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB-DTV) captive flight on NB-52B EC77-7428
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB-DTV) captive flight on NB-52B
Space Shuttle Project
A workman reams holes to the proper size and aligment in the Space Shuttle Main Engine's main injector body, through which propellants will pass through on their way into the engine's combustion chamber. Rockwe... more
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB-DTV) first release from NB-52B EC77-8184
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Drop Test Vehicle (SRB-DTV) first release from NB-52B
The first Space Shuttle External Tank, the Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA), rolls off the assembly line September 9, 1977 at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The MPTA was then transported to the National Space Technology Laboratories in southern Mississippi where it was used in the first static firing of the three main engines. Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibility for Space Shuttle propulsion elements, including the External Tank. Martin Marietta was the prime contractor who designed and assembled the tanks at Michoud. n/a
The first Space Shuttle External Tank, the Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA), rolls off the assembly line September 9, 1977 at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The MPTA was then transported to th... more
Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-2 - New Release - Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), CA
S77-28136 (13 Sept 1977) --- The Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" is seen separating from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on Septem... more
Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-2 - New Release - DFRC, CA
S77-28137 (13 Sept 1977) --- The Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soars above the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the second free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALTs) conducted on September 13, 1977... more
NASA 747 Carrier Aircraft - Five (5) T-38 Aircraft - Shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" - Edwards AFB (EAFB), CA
S77-28200 (13 Sept 1977) --- This impressive scene was photographed when the NASA 747 carrier aircraft and five T-38 aircraft flew over the shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" while it was parked on the runway at ... more
third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft
Public Affairs Office (PAO) release print of activity documenting third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft at DFRC, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), CA. Astronauts Haise and Fullerton arriv... more
third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft
S77-28542 (23 Sept 1977) --- The shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" separates from the NASA 747 carrier aircraft during the third free flight of the Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted on Septembe... more
Third (3rd) "Free Flight" - Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft - Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), Edwards AFB (EAFB), CA
Public Affairs Office (PAO) release print of activity documenting third (3rd) "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft at DFRC, EAFB, CA. Astronauts Haise (left) and Fullerton in front of parking "Ent... more
Third (3rd) "Free Flight" - Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft - Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), CA
S77-28541 (23 Sept 1977) --- The NASA 747 carrier aircraft and six T-38 jets fly over the shuttle Orbiter 101 "Enterprise" soon after completion of a five-minute, 34-second unpowered mission during the third of... more
third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft
Public Affairs Office (PAO) release print of activity documenting third "free flight" of Shuttle Orbiter 101 Spacecraft at DFRC, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), CA. Enterprise is parked on the runway... more
Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-4 Tail Cone Off - Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), CA
Frame of color news-released stills. This was a Tail Cone Off Mission. Crew was made up of Astronauts Engle and Truly. Astronauts Engle, Truly egress Orbiter following flt. DFRC, CA
Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-4 Tail Cone Off
Frame of color news-released stills. This was a Tail Cone Off Mission. Stack Enterprise and 747 in flight.
Enterprise - First Tailcone Off Free Flight EC95-43116-26
Enterprise - First Tailcone Off Free Flight
Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle - Public Affairs Office (PAO) News Release - Free-Flight (FF)-5 Photography
PAO news release material for the 5th and final FF of the ALT series. Precise moment of separation captured by camera from a T-38 chase plane.
Approach & Landing Test (ALT) - Shuttle Free-Flight (FF)-5 - Edwards AFB (EAFB), CA
Photography from Shuttle ALT FF-5. S77-30393: ALT Fr. 3258, a higher-up shot of the Enterprise approaching runway for landing. EAFB, CA