Walter Matt Jefferies - Star Trek the Original Series

Designing the Enterprise

Matt Jefferies original painting of the Starship Enterprise.

Imagine this scenario: you are an artist...first day on new assignment... unknown boss approaches...tall, lanky, nice smile, good handshake...perhaps a comment about the weather in Hollywood.. a common thread is found: both flew B-17s in WW II. He instructs you to design a space ship unlike any other...no fins or rocket exhaust trails, powerful, capable of exceeding the speed of light...crew of several hundred on five-year mission to explore unknown galaxies in outer space. He walks away as you reach for a blank page and a marker. You draw a couple of lines ...and a circle and say to yourself: "This guy's a dreamer. I'm a nuts & bolt man...sure gotta think of something!"

Matt's other Star Trek designs

Matt is also responsible for many other designs besides the U.S.S. Enterprise. He is pictured at the right holding a model of a Klingon Battle Cruiser which he also designed. He created the first hand held phasers for the original series. In the book "Beyond the Clouds", are many of Matt's original sketches for items such as the Enterprise Bridge, Sick Bay, Briefing room, Captain Kirk quarters and other interior sets. He also designed the interior of the Galileo Shuttle craft NCC-1701/7. Also contained in the book is a never before seen full color rendering of Matt's design of the engineering.

Matt holding a model of a Klingon Battle Cruiser

Matt & the Space Shuttle "Enterprise"

Flight Crew patch for OV-101 "Enterprise"

Although Matt's Film and TV work left little time to pursue his interest in aviation and the missle program, he took advantage of every opportunity to do so. A letter dated 12/15/57 to Richard reads: "Air is a little rough. I am enroute to Washington to attend a missle conference. Hitched a ride with the Air Force." And on 12/17/57 he added: "Ah, bright sun...25,000'...on top. Just finished three hours of solid instrument stuff." Matt also visited Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) at the invitation of NASA to witness several missle launchings.

So it is no surprise, that early on the morning of August 12th 1977, (Matt's Birthday) Matt and Mary Ann hopped in the car for the long trip to Edwards Air Force Base. They were among the privledged few invited by NASA to witness the 1st free flight of the Space Shuttle "Enterprise".

Enterprise, the first Space Shuttle Orbiter, was originally to be named Constitution (in honor of the U.S. Constitution's Bicentennial). However, viewers of Star Trek started a write-in campaign urging the White House to select the name Enterprise. Designated, OV-101, the vehicle was rolled out on Sept. 17, 1976. The nine-month-long approach and landing test 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. In the five free flights the astronaut crew separated the spacecraft from the SCA and maneuvered to a landing at Edwards Air Force Base. 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.

On Nov. 18, 1985, the OV-101 Shuttle "Enterprise" became the property of the Smithsonian Institution and now resides in the Air & Space Museum, at Dulles airport. As a final note, The Enterprise was built as a test vehicle and never equipped for space flight.

Nasa's shuttle OV-101 "Enterprise" piggy backs on a Boeing 747	OV-101 "Enterprise" is released from its perch and begins its 1st flight	OV-101 "Enterprise" glides into a turn to line up for landing.	OV-101 "Enterprise" touchs done in the desert.