NASA let the world see the first space shuttle, the Enterprise, on this day in 1976. It wasn't the kind hitched on the side of a rocket that you're imagining. Despite its name, the Enterprise never went to space. It was more of a test vehicle; it was carried to a high altitude by a customized Boeing 747 and released into the atmosphere where it would gather a bunch of measurements before gliding back down to the earth's surface.
The craft was first named the Constitution, but fans of the show "Star Trek" mounted a huge letter-writing campaign to the White House to get it renamed for the spaceship serving as the series' main setting. The Enterprise wouldn't be in use long. It first took flight in February 1977; its last flight was in October that same year.
You can learn more about the Enterprise at Space.com.
