A Shuttle Meets Its City

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The space shuttle Enterprise rides on the back of the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during its flight over New York on Friday. Associated Press

The shuttle has landed, and it did so in New York style.

Thousands of gawkers and photographers flocked to the waterfront Friday as the space shuttle Enterprise arrived from Washington, D.C., atop a 747. It was a final voyage for the prototype, which was used in test flights but never left the atmosphere.

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Spectators watch from Fort Lee, N.J. Getty Images

Just like any newcomer, the shuttle took in landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and Central Park during an hourlong low-altitude introduction to its new home. After playing tourist, the Enterprise will eventually become a tourist magnet as a permanent exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

More than 1,500 invited spectators, including hundreds of schoolchildren, watched the landing at JFK Airport. The jet-mounted shuttle floated into view at 11:10 a.m. to awed gasps and the flutter of camera clicks. Loud cheers went up 12 minutes later as the pair touched down.

It was a moment twice-delayed by bad weather, and the wait had been particularly agonizing for 6-year-old Luca Kasumovich, who dressed in a mock space suit and flight jacket.

"I got dressed very quickly," he said of his preparations.

A group of 75 second-graders from Hawes Elementary School in Ridgewood, N.J., was on hand for the landing. "That was really cool," said Timmy Caulfield, 7, showing off his photos. "I have never seen anything like that happen."

For others, however, Enterprise's arrival was a bittersweet reminder that the U.S. has shut down its manned space program.

Cameras and binoculars were out in force at the edge of the Hudson River in Weehawken, N.J. Reuters

"I am excited to see this, but I am also saddened that the shuttle program has ended and there is nothing in place for the next steps in space," said Terry Dunn, 64, of Tuxedo, N.Y.

The Enterprise and three other shuttles in NASA's fleet were sought by several cities as potent symbols and tourist draws. In the end, New York beat out places like Houston, which has ties to the space program.

"Just about every major city in country wanted the Enterprise, but New York has the right stuff and we won," said New York Sen. Charles Schumer, who helped lobby to bring the shuttle to his city.

The Intrepid Museum already lures about 1 million visitors each year, and a spokeswoman said a 30% increase is expected after the shuttle exhibit opens on July 19. First the shuttle will spend weeks in an airport hangar before floating down the Hudson River on a barge.

The Enterprise has been a showpiece for years, on display at the Smithsonian Institution and on tour to London, Paris and the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans. It was originally christened the Constitution, but fans of "Star Trek" successfully lobbied to change the name.

"They sent a lot of letters to President Gerald Ford," recalled Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played Spock, during the landing ceremony Friday. "And the president logically decided that the ship should be named after our spaceship Enterprise."

Winds had put Friday's flight in question, and those conditions made for a less-than-smooth ride for the six-person flight crew on NASA's carrier plane.

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A fly-by in the vicinity of the Statue of Liberty Getty Images

"It was really bumpy," said head pilot Bill Rieke. "It was pretty cool to see every single site in New York."

The tour was thorough, with two passes at the Statue of Liberty after airborne photographers shadowing the shuttle missed the first time. "That's the shot that's going to be on everybody's wall," Mr. Rieke said.

Thousands of onlookers didn't even wait for the posters, turning up at vantage points from Staten Island to the George Washington Bridge for their own shuttle snapshots.

Mike Conaway, of Union, N.J., remembered watching the Enterprise make its debut as a boy. He brought his 9-year-old son Nick and 6-year-old daughter Lauren for their brush with the shuttle.

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6-year-old Luca Kasumovich came out to see the flight Pervaiz Shallwani for The Wall Street Journal

"We pulled them out of school for this," Mr. Conaway said as the family watched from Liberty State Park in New Jersey. "This is better than any school they're going to get today." Nick agreed: "I just couldn't miss it without steam coming out of my ears."

Kathy Hopper, 55, woke up at 5 a.m. to take a train from Connecticut so she could watch from Battery Park. "This is history," she said. "It's nice to be with other people who are also excited to see the flyby,"

Amateur photographer Michael Clubine, 34, brought out his big guns for the rare meeting of shuttle and city: a 400-mm lens and a 200-mm option. "I didn't want to miss my shot," he said from the crowded waterfront in Lower Manhattan.

Mr. Clubine said he goes out most weeks to find unique shots of New York City, and the shuttle's approach certainly qualified. "You're never going to see it again," he said.

—Rob Bennett contributed to this article.

Corrections & Amplifications:

Michael Clubine took photographs of the space shuttle Enterprise as it flew over New York City. An earlier version of this article incorrectly gave his last name as Clobine.