Uploaded February 2012 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
On Feb. 18, NASA and United Space Alliance technicians at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center began the meticulous task of installing the tailcone on space shuttle Enterprise. The process to lift and maneuver the tailcone into position on the rear of Enterprise took most of the day. The tailcone is always installed on shuttles before they are ferried atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to help reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during flight. In April, Enterprise will be flown to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
On Feb. 18, NASA and United Space Alliance technicians at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center began the meticulous task of installing the tailcone on space shuttle Enterprise. The process to lift and maneuver the tailcone into position on the rear of Enterprise took most of the day. The tailcone is always installed on shuttles before they are ferried atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to help reduce aerodynamic drag and turbulence during flight. In April, Enterprise will be flown to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
