This week in 1978, space shuttle Enterprise underwent a Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Test at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Dynamic Test Stand. The test marked the first time all shuttle elements — an orbiter, external tank and two solid rocket boosters — were vertically mated. The test verified that the shuttle performed as expected in its launch configuration. The first shuttle mission launched in April 1981, and for the next 30 years the program’s five spacecraft carried people into orbit repeatedly, allowing crew to launch, recover and repair satellites, conduct cutting-edge research and build the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the History Program’s webpage.
Image credit: NASA