posted 09-21-2012 02:20 PM               

Space Cover #180: The Space Shuttle's First Flights: Enterprise and the Approach and Landing Tests

35 years ago, from February to October 1977, NASA's first space shuttle orbiter, OV-101 Enterprise, was involved in the Approach and Landing Test (ALT) Program at Edwards AFB, CA. ALT was designed to test the flight characteristics of the space shuttle orbiters, by simulating a typical approach and landing profile from orbit.

Enterprise was carried aloft a total of 13 times by a Boeing 747, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). The first five flights, from February 18 to March 2, 1977, were called Inactive Captive flights (Enterprise unmanned), then from June 18 to July 26, three more flights took place, called Active Captive, with Enterprise manned by a 2-man astronaut/pilot crew. And then on August 12, Enterprise was released from atop the SCA for its first of five free flights. Piloting Enterprise on its first, third and fifth free flights were Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton. Joe Engle and Richard Truly piloted Enterprise on its second and fourth free flights. These five flights were the only time that Enterprise ever flew alone.

The top cover is a Rockwell Space Division Stamp Club cover for Enterprise's rollout from its assembly plant in Palmdale in September 1976. It is also canceled for its final free flight on October 26, 1977 and autographed by the four NASA astronaut pilots who comprised the two 2-man flight crews. the bottom NASA Exchange cover marks the first of five Inactive Captive flights and is autographed by the SCA crew, including SCA commander Fitz Fulton.

The top cover, autographed by the crew of Haise and Fullerton, marks Enterprise's first manned Active Captive flight. The bottom cover marks Enterprise's first of five free flights.

The top cover marks Enterprise's second free flight and is autographed by the crew of Joe Engle and Richard Truly. The bottom cover is canceled for the first ALT free flight and is autographed by the SCA crew and the four ALT Enterprise astronaut pilots.

Enterprise did its important part in paving the way for the later shuttle orbital flights and is now residing as a museum piece at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in NYC.

posted 09-21-2012 08:08 PM               

I remember that first ALT free-flight quite well! It was a Saturday. I was a junior in engineering school, going into my senior year. My best friend in college was getting married on that Saturday, August 12, 1977 out in far western Kansas. We had his bachelor party the night before. Luckily we were able to come back to life in time to see the first ALT free-flight on a B&W TV in a motel out there in western Kansas. As a junior engineering student, I was convinced that OV-101 would slide back and impact the SCA's vertical stabilizer on release. Luckily (part deux), I was wrong! We went on to the marriage ceremony later that day, and much later I figured out the error in my calculation that OV-101 would slide into the vertical stabilizer...

Anyhoo, the below cover was machine canceled at Edwards for the August 12, 1977 first free flight of a Shuttle Orbiter. The cachet is the Rockwell Stamp Club contractor cachet for that flight. Then, some kind soul collected hand cancelled Edwards postmarks upon it for each of the subsequent ALT free flights for OV-101!

posted 09-22-2012 12:10 PM               

I also saw the first ALT free flight on TV and it was quite a tense "launch."

posted 09-27-2012 01:36 PM               

The top cover is a Robert Boudwin cover for the final Inactive Captive flight of the joined SCA/Enterprise combo.

The next cover is a double canceled Stan Henderson 3-Muscateers cover for the aborted first manned Active Captive flight. And then canceled for the actual first Active Captive flight the next day.

The bottom over is a handsome Rockwell Space Division Stamp Club cover double canceled for the first and last ALT/Enterprise Free Flights.