ENTERPRISE

OV-101


completed at this: September 17th, 1977

Maiden flight on this: August 12th, 1977

 

 


.The first ever built Orbiter was conceived as a test vehicle for test flights in the earth's atmosphere. The space glider with the official name OV 101 was called climbing pinch after the spaceship from the known television series. The climbing pinch built by Rockwell International in the Californian Palmdale was completed in September 1976 and center dragged for the nearby Dryden Flight research on the last January day of the following year. The climbing pinch was subjected to series of tests covering 13 approaches and landings there.
At these tests the Orbiter of a rebuilt Boeing 747 Jumbo jet jet was carried on the back. After first tests on the runway the climbing pinch assembled on the strap airplane tightly went through several unmanned and manned test flights. On August 12th, 1977 the climbing pinch with Frederick Haise and Gordon Fullerton as pilots for the first time in this swept back a free glide to the landing strip after approximately 7,000 m of altitude of the strap airplane had been uncoupled it. Another four glides followed until October 26th. No defects were noticed at the aerodynamic qualities of the space shuttle. In 1978 one then took the Orbiter to thorough vibration tests to the Marshall Flight center in Huntsville (Alabama). The Orbiter was put together with the other assemblies to the first shuttle start combine which thus already let itself be seen in its future outer shape in the Kennedy Space center in spring 1979.
This start group was rolled to the start platform on May 1st, 1979 of the assembly hall to rehearse the final assembly. The first Orbiter, Columbia, provided for actual uses already was in the Kennedy Space center at this instant and the preparations for its first flight went at full blast. This flight finally on April 12th, 1981 took place. After this the climbing pinch wasn't further needed; it was only used at space exhibitions and similar events in all the world.
 


"Approach and Landing Test"

 

1

18 Feb 77

unbemannt

02h 05m 00s

2

22 Feb 77

unbemannt

03h 13m 00s

3

25 Feb 77

unbemannt

02h 28m 00s

4

28 Feb 77

unbemannt

02h 11m 00s

5

02 Mrz 77

unbemannt

01h 39m 00s

6

18 Jun 77

Haise/Fullerton

00h 55m 46s

7

28 Jun 77

Engle/Truly

01h 02m 00s

8

26 Jul 77

Haise/Fullerton

00h 59m 53s

"Approach and Landing Test"

 

1

12 Aug 77

Haise/Fullerton

00h 05m 21s

2

13 Sep 77

Engle/Truly

00h 05m 28s

3

23 Sep 77

Haise/Fullerton

00h 05m 43s

4

12 Okt 77

Engle/Truly

00h 02m 34s

5

26 Okt 77

Haise/Fullerton

00h 02m 01s

 



 

 

 

   © 2002 by Dizzy-Devil •  webmaster@planet-kerry.com
      IN COOPERATION WITH
STONE-NET