This year marks the 25th anniversary of shuttle's free-flight tests By Lisa Tidwell ike a child who must learn to walk before running, the space shuttle had to prove it could safely land before it could become NASA's main mode of transportation into space. ... In January 1977, the Enterprise traveled 36 miles over land from Palmdale to the place of its first flight ­ NASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base. ... Joseph Fries, NASA Manager of the test facility, agreed. ...