Fifty years ago, NASA rolled out its first space shuttle while a host of iconic Star Trek actors watched on to celebrate the historic step forward in human spaceflight.
What is it?
On September 17, 1976, NASA rolled out the space shuttle Enterprise, the first-ever space shuttle (which happens to bear the same name as the USS Enterprise from Star Trek).
This grand reveal took place at the Rockwell manufacturing facility in Palmdale, California — and there was no shortage of fanfare. As the shuttle rolled out of its hangar, the Air Force Band of the Golden West played music from Star Trek as a crowd of 600 guests looked on and listened.
Among the guests were Star Trek icons including series creator Gene Roddenberry; Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock; Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura); George Takei (Mr. Sulu); James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery Scotty Scott); DeForest Kelley (Dr. Bones McCoy); and Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov). The crew took a moment to pose in front of the shuttle with NASA Administrator James D. Fletcher.
Why is it incredible?
The start of the space shuttle program was a "historic step in the nation's space program," Fletcher said at the time.
And today, 50 years in the future, it is clear in looking back that this truly was a historic step. NASA's space shuttle program ran until 2011 when the shuttle Atlantis made its final flight. For over 30 years, NASA astronauts flew to and from space aboard space shuttles, making incredible leaps such as the construction of the International Space Station and the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.
The space shuttle program also included tragic incidents with the Challenger and Columbia missions, showing NASA and the world just how dangerous space can be.
