12 August 1977. In the air, high above the Mojave desert, Apollo 13’s Fred Haise is at the controls of the Space Shuttle prototype. Alongside him is Gordon Fullerton. Cruising at 27 thousand feet, the vehicle is bolted to the back of a Boeing 747. It is the mother of all piggy-back rides. But this 68-tonne spacecraft is about to get its wings, as the moment approaches for the first free flight of the USS Enterprise. Haise pushes the button to blow the bolts - for a moment the shuttle lifts free, as the 747 dives away. But then - the master alarm is sounded: the computer controlling the orbiter’s flight systems has just died. Haise and Fullerton urgently work the problem. They only have one chance at a safe landing and that is coming up fast!

Ever wondered how the Space Shuttle came to be? Welcome to a new podcast series, 16 Sunsets. Host Kevin Fong takes you back to a pivotal moment in history, revealing the high-stakes drama behind this iconic orbiter, as told by those who were there. In this episode we follow the dramatic inaugural flight of the Shuttle and meet the 91-year old ex-Naval veteran who led the charge to name it, The Enterprise!

Featuring: John Aaron, Bob Crippen, Bonnie Dunbar, Joe Engle, Gordon Fullerton, Gerry Griffin, Fred Haise, Jennifer Lavasseur, Tom Moser & BJo Trimble.

Credits:

Written and presented by Dr Kevin Fong

Producers: Rami Tzabar and Andrew Luck-Baker with additional production by Dave Giles and Clare Wiley.

Assistant Producer: Kate Arkless Gray

Sound Design and Mixing: Richard Courtice

Music: Christian Lundberg, part of Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Composer Collective

With special thanks to Sandra Johnson and Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre Oral History Project

Executive Producers: Stuart Coxe, Kevin Fong, Jago Lee and Rami Tzabar

16 Sunsets is an Antica and TellTale Production 2024

Check out our website at https://sixteensunsets.com

Instagram: @sixteen_sunsets

X: @16sunsets

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