Space Shuttle Enterprise

Originally, Enterprise was intended to be refitted for orbital flight, which would have made it the second space shuttle to fly after Columbia. But refitting Enterprise for spaceflight proved too costly, and the second shuttle, Challenger, was built around a body frame (STA-099) that had been created as a test platform. Again, after the Challenger disaster, Enterprise was considered for refit, but Endeavour was built from structural spares instead.

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Space Shuttle
Enterprise

Note the plastic over the wing in this 2004 photo. Several of Enterprise's wing-leading edge panels were removed to allow engineers to conduct foam impact testing for the Columbia accident investigation.

 

 

 
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