posted 09-14-2026 12:13 PM               

Intrepid Museum to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Space Shuttle Enterprise

NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya; Former NASA Administrator and Astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr.; and Astronaut Peggy Whitson to Discuss Enterprise's Legacy and the Future of Human Spaceflight, Moderated by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The Intrepid Museum along with key players in the space industry, will host a dynamic panel discussion in honor of the 50th anniversary of the public rollout of Enterprise, NASA's prototype orbiter that paved the way for the space shuttle program. This orbiter joined the Museum's collection in 2012.

The conversation will take place on Thursday, September 17 from 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm at the Intrepid Museum, located at 46th Street and 12th Avenue in Manhattan.

The event will feature NASA Associate Administrator and Chief Engineer Amit Kshatriya; former NASA Administrator and astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr.; and record-breaking astronaut and Axiom Space Director of Human Spaceflight Peggy Whitson. The panelists will explore Enterprise's legacy, the Space Shuttle program's continued influence on NASA's Artemis program and commercial spaceflight, and what the next 50 years of human space exploration may hold. Nell Greenfieldboyce, former science and technology reporter for NPR, will serve as moderator.

Although Enterprise never flew in space, it fundamentally changed the course of human spaceflight. As the prototype that proved the Space Shuttle concept, it demonstrated the feasibility of reusable spacecraft, inspired a generation of engineers and astronauts, and helped pave the way for three decades of Shuttle missions.

The panel will take place during the Museum's public Astronomy Night, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

The Museum recently reinvigorated the exhibition in the Space Shuttle Pavilion, with updated graphics and new content. New content includes videos from the Museum's oral history collection, an interactive kiosk highlighting key features of Enterprise, artifacts related to astronaut Richard Truly, one of the first crewmembers to fly Enterprise, and a photo display focusing on key technologies in human spaceflight.