This 4 inch diamemter embroidered patch was use by the flight crews of NASA's approach and landing test program for the space shuttle in 1977. This image at the right shows astronauts Fred Haise (Apollo 13) and Gordon Fullerton (STS-3) leaving the Shuttle Enterprise at Edwards AFB.

Note the Approach and Landing patch that appears on the right front of their flight suits.

The first orbiter spacecraft, Enterprise (OV-101), was rolled out at Rockwell International's Palmdale, California, assembly facility on Sept. 17, 1976. On Jan. 31, 1977, it was transported 36 miles overland from Rockwell's assembly facility to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base for the approach and landing test (ALT) program.

The nine-month-long ALT program was conducted from February through November 1977 at the Dryden Flight Research Facility and demonstrated that the orbiter could fly in the atmosphere and land like an airplane.

Two NASA astronaut crews-Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton and Joe Engle and Dick Truly-took turns flying the 150,000-pound spacecraft to free-flight landings.