(AP)—The flying machine that ushered in NASA's space shuttle program has suffered storm damage in New York City.
Shuttle prototype Enterprise weathered Superstorm Sandy this week at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Officials say the Enterprise sustained minor damage to its vertical stabilizer, or tail. A piece of foam came off.
The damage was confirmed Friday as shuttle Atlantis concluded its journey to retirement at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
An Intrepid museum official says the Enterprise remains safely in place and the damage will be repaired at the earliest opportunity. The museum remains closed because of storm damage.
Enterprise was used for atmospheric drop tests over Edwards Air Force Base in California in 1977, four years before the first shuttle launch. Enterprise was never designed for space travel.
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