In order to test the space shuttle Enterprise's landing capabilities, it was carried to 24,000 feet atop a modified 747, and blasted off using explosive charges.

27th April in 2012, space shuttle Enterprise began its flight from Washington, DC, to New York City, where it is now on display at the Intrepid Museum alongside our newest exhibition, Apollo: When We Went to the Moon!

It was not “blasted off.” Explosive bolts are exactly what they sound like: bolts with an explosive in them that cuts them in half when an electrical charge is applied. The shuttle was held on with explosive bolts, because it would’ve been tough to get three guys outside on top of that 747 while it was flying to take the bolts off, all at the same time. The charge was applied, the explosive cut the bolts apart, and the shuttle lifted off of the 747. Easy. Nothing was blasted.

34 years ago, on April 24, 1990, Space Shuttle Discovery was launched from LC-39B. The primary purpose of this mission was the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

After space shuttle the aerospace industry hasn’t been developing much for around 50 years. I. The recent years this has changed since Elon’s projects with Space X and probably sending humans to the Moon working together with NASA

The first prototype test flight

On this day in 2012, space shuttle Enterprise began its flight from Washington, DC, to New York City, where it is now on display at the Intrepid Museum

The information provided is incorrect. The Space Shuttle Enterprise was never blasted off using explosive charges. It was carried to altitude by a modified Boeing 747, known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), and then released from the 747's back to glide and land autonomously. This process was part of the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) conducted in 1977 to evaluate the shuttle's handling and landing capabilities. The Enterprise never went into space and was not equipped for space flight; it was a prototype used to test various aspects of the Space Shuttle program.

I'll never forgive NASA for naming this Enterprise and never letting it go into space.

In 2012, a group of scientists intentionally crashed a Boeing 727 to test which seats had the best chance of survival

The Space Shuttle Enterprise was carried to altitude atop a modified Boeing 747, known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, to test its glide and landing capabilities. This method, known as the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT), helped engineers understand how the shuttle would behave during landing. It's fascinating to think about the innovative ways NASA tested and refined its space shuttle program.