Space History Photo: Space Shuttle Enterprise at Dynamic Test Stand

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A view from above as the Enterprise is tested for vibrations. (Image credit: NASA | Earnie Harding)

This 1978 photo from the U.S. space agency shows an aerial view of the Space Shuttle Enterprise being hoisted into Marshall's Dynamic Test Stand for the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration test (MVGVT).

The test marked the first time ever that all of a space shuttle's elements — Orbiter, an External Tank (ET), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) — were mated together. The vibration test aimed to verify that the shuttle would perform its launch configuration as predicted.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Founded in 1958, NASA is a civilian space agency aimed at exploring the universe with space telescopes,  satellites, robotic spacecraft, astronauts and more. The space agency has 10 major centers based across the U.S. and launches robotic and crewed missions from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. It's astronaut corps is based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. To follow NASA's latest mission, follow the space agency on Twitter or any other social channel, of visit: nasa.gov.