Aircraft carrier Museum in New York

NASA's space shuttle Enterprise sails up New York City's Hudson River with the Empire State Building in the background while en route to its new home, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on June 6, 2012.
Credit: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Up and a sway

Soon after arriving alongside the Intrepid, Enterprise was prepared to be hoisted onto the museum's flight deck. A separate barge equipped with a large crane — the same crane that was used in 2009 to lift the U.S. Airways "Miracle on the Hudson" plane out of the water — was positioned between Enterprise and the Intrepid. To enable the lift, the shuttle was outfitted with the yellow metal sling that was used to hoist it on and off NASA's modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft that delivered Enterprise to New York.

The orbiter was lowered onto the deck so that its nose was pointed toward the Hudson River.

This was the first time — and almost certainly the only time — a space shuttle has been displayed on an aircraft carrier, although the exhibit is only temporary. The Intrepid plans to build a permanent display home for the Enterprise to showcase the shuttle and enhance its other space exhibits and educational curriculum.

Hundreds of enthusiastic people watched as the space shuttle Enterprise arrived at its new home: New York City's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, June 6, 2012.
Credit: Denise Chow/SPACE.com

Enterprise's earlier exhibitions

Enterprise was previously displayed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to it being donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1985. Before arriving at the Intrepid, Enterprise was exhibited at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia for eight years. It was moved to New York City after shuttle Discovery inherited its place in the National Collection.

Although Enterprise did not fly in space — it was instead used for a series of approach and landing tests in the late 1970s — it holds the record among NASA's shuttle fleet for traveling the farthest around the globe without ever leaving Earth's atmosphere.

Enterprise was the only NASA shuttle to visit several countries in Europe while overseas for the 1983 Paris Air Show (it made its first flyover of New York while on its return to the U.S.). A year later it embarked on its first barge journey, being delivered to New Orleans for the 1984 World's Fair.