Florida Space Day 2008

There have been six orbiters in the shuttle program's history: The names, in the order they were built, are Enterprise, Columbia , Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. The Enterprise was flown only in approach and landing tests, and was never intended for space flight. Columbia completed the first five Space Shuttle missions. The Columbia and her crew were lost when it disintegrated upon reentry in February 2003 due to damage from the foam falling of the external tank upon liftoff. Challenger was originally built as a vibration test vehicle, then later upgraded to become the second operational orbiter. The Challenger and her crew were lost in an accident on January 28, 1986. Discovery made its first flight in August 1984, and Atlantis in October 1985. Endeavour, built to replace the Challenger, made its debut in May 1992.

In 1985, Enterprise was ferried from the Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport, Washington, D.C., and became the property of the Smithsonian Institution. Florida should retain one of the remaining three orbiters at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Center as a tribute to the many missions launched from Kennedy Space Center and flown during the Space Shuttle Program.