OV-101 (ALT)_v_c_o_TPMBK (1977, unnumbered poss. NASA photo)

A unique view of Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101), accompanied by three T-38 chase aircraft, on approach to touchdown on the Dryden Flight Research Center dry lake bed, Edwards Air Force Base during the Shuttle Program’s Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) in 1977.
OV-101 conducted three free flights with its tail-cone on: ALT-12/Free-Flight no. 1 (FF-1) on 12 August 1977, ALT-13/FF-2 on 13 September 1977 & ALT-14/FF-3, 23 September 1977.

Unable to find anything even remotely similar to this photograph, but based on it having survived, the two pinholes, what looks to be two of the chase aircraft to the orbiter's right flank and the types of clouds present, I’m going with it being ALT-12, the first free-flight. Sounds good to me.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V60ImP4as4
Credit: lunarmodule5/YouTube

Finally, thanks to Ed Hengeveld's identification confirmation below & AW&ST's archival holdings, I believe the magazine's caption of the image to be:

“Orbiter Enterprise, trailed by three Northrop T-38 chase aircraft, starts final approach to landing on Runway 17 at Edwards AFB. Shuttle test officials at Dryden Flight Research Center said the initial free flight proved the orbiter’s atmospheric flying qualities.”

Taken on: November 29, 2022

Tags:

Runway 17

final approach

spacecraft

space history

FF-1

Free-Flight 1

Free-Flight

ALT-12

NASA aircraft

NASA spacecraft

NASA

Rockwell International

tail cone

nose boom

descent

DFRC

Dryden Flight Research Center

EAFB

Edwards AFB

Edwards Air Force Base

glider

T-38

T-38 Talon

chase aircraft

chase plane

chase planes

OV-101

Space Shuttle Enterprise

Manned Spacecraft

Human Space Flight

Manned Space Flight

orbiter vehicle

Approach & Landing Tests

Approach and Landing Tests

test flight

Space Shuttle Program

winged spacecraft

reusable spacecraft

Space Transportation System

the shuttle

the space shuttle

space shuttle « less

Sets appears in: • Breaking The Bonds & Firsts • Space Transportation System

Groups appears in: • Aviation • Space Shuttle more » • Edwards AFB « less

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