Editing Space Shuttle (section)

===Testing===
[[File:OV-101 first flight.jpg|thumb|alt=Enterprise being release from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the Approach and Landing Tests|''Enterprise'' during the [[Approach and Landing Tests]]]]
[[File:Space Shuttle Columbia launching cropped 2.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=The Space Shuttle Columbia launching on the first Space Shuttle mission|[[Space Shuttle Columbia|''Columbia'']] launching on [[STS-1]]{{efn|[[STS-1]] and [[STS-2]] were the only Space Shuttle missions that used a white fire-retardant coating on the external tank. Subsequent missions did not use the latex coating to reduce the mass, and the external tank appeared orange.<ref name=shuttle_manual />{{rp|48}}}}]]

After it arrived at Edwards AFB, ''Enterprise'' underwent flight testing with the [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]], a Boeing 747 that had been modified to carry the orbiter. In February 1977, ''Enterprise'' began the [[Approach and Landing Tests]] (ALT) and underwent captive flights, where it remained attached to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the duration of the flight. On August 12, 1977, ''Enterprise'' conducted its first glide test, where it detached from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and landed at Edwards AFB.<ref name="dev_space_shuttle" />{{rp|173–174}} After four additional flights, ''Enterprise'' was moved to the [[Marshall Space Flight Center]] (MSFC) on March 13, 1978. ''Enterprise'' underwent shake tests in the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Test, where it was attached to an external tank and solid rocket boosters, and underwent vibrations to simulate the stresses of launch. In April 1979, ''Enterprise'' was taken to the KSC, where it was attached to an external tank and solid rocket boosters, and moved to [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|LC-39]]. Once installed at the launch pad, the Space Shuttle was used to verify the proper positioning of the launch complex hardware. ''Enterprise'' was taken back to California in August 1979, and later served in the development of the [[Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6|SLC-6]] at [[Vandenberg AFB]] in 1984.<ref name=shuttle_manual />{{rp|40–41}}

On November 24, 1980, ''Columbia'' was mated with its external tank and solid-rocket boosters, and was moved to LC-39 on December&nbsp;29<!--, 1980-->.<ref name=jenkins2016 />{{rp|III-22}} The first Space Shuttle mission, [[STS-1]], would be the first time NASA performed a crewed first-flight of a spacecraft.<ref name=jenkins2016 />{{rp|III-24}} On April 12, 1981, the Space Shuttle launched for the first time, and was piloted by [[John Young (astronaut)|John Young]] and [[Robert Crippen]]. During the two-day mission, Young and Crippen tested equipment on board the shuttle, and found several of the ceramic tiles had fallen off the top side of the ''Columbia''.<ref name=into_the_black>{{cite book |last = White |first = Rowland |title = Into the Black |publisher = Touchstone |date = 2016 |location = New York |isbn = 978-1-5011-2362-7}}</ref>{{rp|277–278}} NASA coordinated with the Air Force to use satellites to image the underside of ''Columbia'', and determined there was no damage.<ref name=into_the_black />{{rp|335–337}} ''Columbia'' reentered the atmosphere and landed at Edwards AFB on April 14.<ref name=jenkins2016 />{{rp|III-24}}

NASA conducted three additional test flights with ''Columbia'' in 1981 and 1982. On July 4, 1982, [[STS-4]], flown by [[Ken Mattingly]] and [[Henry Hartsfield]], landed on a concrete runway at Edwards AFB. President [[Ronald Reagan]] and his wife [[Nancy Reagan|Nancy]] met the crew, and delivered a speech. After STS-4, NASA declared its Space Transportation System (STS) operational.<ref name="dev_space_shuttle" />{{rp|178–179}}<ref>{{cite web
 |last = Dumoulin
 |first = Jim
 |title = Space Transportation System
 |publisher = NASA
 |date = August 31, 2000
|url = https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts_overview.html
 |access-date = June 21, 2020
|archive-date = February 5, 2021
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210205085519/https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts_overview.html
 |url-status = live
}}</ref>