Enterprise, Space shuttle test vehicle at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Manhattan, United States.
The Enterprise measures 122 feet (37.2 meters) in length and stands 59 feet (17.9 meters) tall, featuring a gray exterior and distinctive delta wing design typical of space shuttle orbiters.
Built in 1977, Enterprise served as NASA's first space shuttle orbiter and was used exclusively for atmospheric test flights and ground tests, never flying in space but proving crucial for the shuttle program's development.
Named Enterprise after a successful letter-writing campaign by Star Trek fans, the shuttle's dedication ceremony in 1976 included creator Gene Roddenberry and cast members, linking popular science fiction with real aerospace engineering.
Located at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at Intrepid Plaza in Manhattan, Enterprise is displayed on the museum's flight deck in a climate-controlled pavilion where visitors can examine it up close.
Enterprise is the first and only NASA space shuttle to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, receiving this designation in 2013 for its importance in American space exploration history.
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