Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uc!cs.umn.edu!kksys!wd0gol!newave!john
From: john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: orbiters
Message-ID: <502@newave.UUCP>
Date: 25 Oct 90 12:00:02 GMT
References: <3833@awdprime.UUCP> <5758@mace.cc.purdue.edu> <1058@dg.dg.com> <359@rhum.tcom.stc.co.uk> <494@newave.UUCP> <1990Oct22.051612.799@zoo.toronto.edu> <100@abode.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@newave.mn.org (John A. Weeks III)
Organization: NeWave Communications Ltd, Eden Prairie, MN
Lines: 23

In article <100@abode.UUCP> eric@abode.UUCP (Eric C. Bennett) writes:
> In <1990Oct22.051612.799@zoo.toronto.edu> henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes:
> > Enterprise and Buran have been retired, for similar-sounding

> Well, the Enterprise was never intended to be launced into space. It didn't
> even have real engines in it.

Enterprise was fully intended to go up into space.  After the glide tests,
it was to be refitted for space flight.  It turned out that it was a bit
overweight.  As a result, one of the test bed frames was fitted for flight
and named Challenger.  That is why Challenger had the number 99 rather than
a number in the 100 series.  Although it never went into space, Enterprise
played a very important part in the development of the Space Shuttle by
helping to verify many of the shuttle turn-around procedures, stacking,
pad procedures, and landing.

-john-

-- 
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John A. Weeks III               (612) 942-6969               john@newave.mn.org
NeWave Communications                ...uunet!rosevax!bungia!wd0gol!newave!john
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