All About Star Trek Fan Clubs

The space shuttle orbiter Enterprise is on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The story of Enterprise’s name illustrates how popular culture can inspire science. This prototype orbiter was originally named “Constitution” in honor of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. It was scheduled to be unveiled on Constitution Day, September 17, 1976. However, more than 400,000 fans of the television show Star Trek successfully petitioned President Gerald Ford to change the name to Enterprise in celebration of the fictional starship.

Trekkers celebrated the naming of the space shuttle Enterprise in this fan magazine, which featured a pull-out Enterprise poster on the reverse side of the cover.