EC77-8142
The flight crews of the space shuttle prototype Enterprise and NASA’s modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft gathered in front of the piggyback pair following the final captive-carry flight in the shuttle Approach and Landing Tests on July 26, 1977. The landing gear of Enterprise was lowered during the final portion of that captive-carry flight to verify that it functioned properly. Five free-flight tests of Enterprise would follow over the next three months, validating the shuttle’s ability to make a precise unpowered runway landing upon its return from space.
The SCA crew is in the yellow suits and the Enterprise crew in the blue suits. From left, they are SCA pilot-in-command Fitz Fulton, Enterprise pilot-in-command Gordon Fullerton, SCA flight engineer Vic Horton, Enterprise pilot (and Apollo 13 veteran) Fred Haise, SCA flight engineer Vincent Alvarez, and SCA co-pilot Tom McMurtry.July 26, 1977
NASA PhotoALT Project Description