From: utzoo!henry
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: Enterprise status 
Article-I.D.: utzoo.2140
Posted: Thu Jun 10 17:15:02 1982
Received: Thu Jun 10 17:15:02 1982

Last I heard, the Enterprise is not considered as a flyable shuttle
any more.  Basically, it's overweight and below flight standards in
other minor ways.  This is why the static test prototype, orbiter
099, is being refurbished to become a real orbiter.  Originally the
Enterprise was to be the second orbiter and the static-test article
was never to be a complete orbiter.  Now the Enterprise's official
fate is to be cannibalized for parts, I think.

Mind you, if NASA suddenly needs another orbiter badly (if one of
the existing ones crashes, say) after the production line is closed,
it might be Real Handy to have this almost-orbiter sitting in storage...