On what date was Space Shuttle Enterprise rolled out during the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial?

Space Shuttle Enterprise was rolled out on September 17, 1976, during the U.S. Bicentennial year.

The ceremony introduced NASA’s first Space Shuttle orbiter to the public. Enterprise was designated OV-101 and was built as a test vehicle for atmospheric approach and landing flights.

Enterprise was not capable of reaching orbit. It lacked operational engines and a functional heat shield, and its primary role was to test how a shuttle would glide and land after release from a modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft.

NASA had originally considered naming the shuttle Constitution, partly because 1976 was the Bicentennial year. A major letter-writing campaign by Star Trek fans helped persuade NASA to use the name Enterprise instead. The vehicle later performed unpowered glide tests in 1977.