Fifty years ago today, NASA’s first space shuttle rolled out of the Rockwell facility in Palmdale, California, into history. Front and center for the public celebration were hundreds of invited guests, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and iconic members of the original series cast.
The orbiter almost wore a very different name. NASA originally slated the vessel to be named Constitution—timing its rollout to coincide with Constitution Day. However, after thousands of passionate Trekkies flooded the White House with letters, President Gerald Ford intervened, directing NASA to name the iconic vessel Enterprise after the fictional starship.
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