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Enterprise makes final landing in New York

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    Former NASA astronaut weighs in

  • Duration 8:05
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Well let's bring in Scott Horowitz a guy who knows a lot more than about more lot more than I do about flying is a former.

NASA astronaut -- I think is able to see enterprise that she sets up for I think what's going to be the final landing here at JFK.

So Scott just imagine that you are the pilot of that 747.

With ninety tons of space shuttle on board.

What do you do on what do you think of well what you're -- is everybody in the world's watching you right now I'm sure I don't wanna -- this one up at the that's -- that's for sure you mentioned the drag of the just the aeronautical drag of having the shuttle on board that big seven.

47.

It's it's a pretty fine touch on the throttles I imagines you try to bring this thing in for the last time.

Play and the pilots of course they've they've they've done this a few times and I'll get to do -- very often because we have -- -- the shuttles around.

The country like.

Like we used to in the program was active.

Com but you know they've.

They know the right power settings to used it to keep their air speed just where they want it so they can go you know fly the approach.

But when they do pull the throttles back with -- all that extra drag aircraft will slow down significantly faster than a clean 747.

You've got 141500.

Feet of runway ahead so.

Plenty of time for a nice slow approach and and roll out.

It just looks almost like it's hovering there this.

This thing it's gonna be of a fairly slow approach there it is there with the -- treason for foreground you a little better idea.

How quickly or how slowly this thing is moving it's been a slow fly by in a very inspiring one.

For all kinds of New Yorkers I mean people who.

People -- rushing office building windows and so forth to catch this thing fly -- and now it appears.

It's setting up for its final approach to JFK airport runway 31 -- our.

And it's really.

Kind of the end of an -- for not only enterprise but really for the shuttle program right now.

Yes it's them in the shuttle program has been phenomenal if you think about where it's come from for the last thirty years.

-- it's it's a beautiful -- it reminds us what.

People can do.

When they have challenges I mean all the people that supported the shuttle over the years thousand people that made this possible.

Are really.

Put allotted to this this program it sits sits a -- -- Com.

You know indication of American ingenuity if you will and it's it's bittersweet I mean it's beautiful to see this amazing thing that we we have in the space shuttles.

But of course it's sad that the follow on programs and now.

Canceled in and -- you know to get on to do the exploration and Americans you know would like us to do.

Here it is on final approach it appears that the 747.

Bringing enterprise to New York's JFK airport.

It's going to be touching down momentarily let's just take it -- And Maingear has touchdown.

And the nose -- is going to be touching down any moment now probably has already.

Our camera position takes you behind that -- It looks like enterprise.

And -- us come into its final hole.

New York City.

Beautiful landing.

The reverse -- I -- on the big jet engines there and at 747 is just about stopped and enterprises home.

And -- home for now for a couple weeks is going now has its temporary home at JFK airport.

And then its journey continues.

It's going to be loaded onto a barge and -- -- Two Hudson River where it will be lifted from that barge onto the aircraft carrier intrepid that's gonna happen in a couple weeks time.

And thick of the symbol of symbolism you know the Hudson River named after Henry Hudson who did so much exploring of this Conn continent.

Really before the nation was here before.

Well before we had an America Henry Hudson was.

Look around poke around in his -- the half moon and now enterprise.

A craft that didn't as Dennis said make it into space but but provided so much information.

About the shuttles that followed on.

Enterprise is going to be sitting.

On board at the the carrier there.

In the intrepid in the Hudson River.

Any amazing to see I just like -- and -- John we have a -- different space -- going a few different -- -- in the country.

And I misspoke a few moments ago -- I said that the space shuttle endeavor is now on the Smithsonian that's not the case the space shuttle discovery's in the Smithsonian the enterprise is in New York.

And all of you out on the West Coast we'll get a look at the space shuttle endeavor.

In a couple weeks when it goes out to the West Coast to Los Angeles so.

I certainly a lot of different space -- going around the country so we all can get a look at an up close look really.

At our space program and a vantage point obviously we don't get to see every day now -- -- American flag -- it to be top of the plane right.

What else I probably are right out of the cockpit I'm I'm guessing that the -- pilots have.

Have -- that right outside their cockpit window which some of the cockpit windows are able to open and that's probably where that American flag is coming.

Do you think they had that window open the entire -- I don't think it's I don't know I don't immense fresh air now back -- our guys value convertible.

Quite -- gained quite a sight we'll take a little bit of time by the -- did this now this plane.

Because it takes little time just get it up on the 747.

It's really remarkable John just to see what attaches it -- that's him for a seven you would imagine it would be more than that but.

-- -- go anywhere throughout that flight.

I am always amazed that the engineering.

What do you think about it you know we went from the Mercury and Gemini and Apollo programs with.

Cone shaped capsule.

On top of those Big Apple's rock -- well and in the case of the Apollo program it was the atlas rocket.

And we went from that to this.

Sometimes ungainly looking.

Ship attached to a couple of solid rock abuse boosters.

And that external fuel tank if if Scott Horwitz is is still with -- maybe -- can comment on that.

But the engineering and the thinking that went into.

Putting.

This go wider really into space and then back to -- that was a radical departure.

From what we had seen to that point in the Mercury Gemini and Apollo programs writes -- -- that that that is correct the the one thing that made it possible for us to use a winged vehicle like the shuttle's we are going to low earth orbit.

Where the reentry speeds are about 181000 miles an hour and so they could build a vehicle.

With a thermal protection system that would actually protect the wings during reentry.

And it was a pretty big technological step -- you think about doing this in the seventies in fact he talked about the shuttle being faulted on top of the 747.

After remember the approach and landing tested actually released from those attach points.

And glided back to earth.

After separate from that 747 during the test flights so that was pretty phenomenal to watch -- it's just absolutely amazing again the engineering Scott Horowitz.

Thanks so much for your expertise -- your --

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