istic ▁miss ile , ▁the ▁track ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁develop ▁e jection ▁seats ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁at ▁su person ic ▁spe eds . ▁Though ▁this ▁program ▁was ▁a ▁success , ▁a ▁budget ary ▁review ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁track ▁was ▁too ▁expensive ▁to ▁maintain ▁and ▁the ▁track ▁was ▁de comm ission ed ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁Before ▁it ▁was ▁closed , ▁a ▁trial ▁run ▁set ▁a ▁world ▁speed ▁record ▁of ▁ ▁before ▁the ▁test ▁car ▁broke ▁up . ▁After ▁it ▁closed , ▁the ▁rails ▁were ▁pulled ▁up ▁to ▁help ▁straight en ▁Lanc aster ▁Bou lev ard . ▁ ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁support ▁ ▁After ▁President ▁Richard ▁M . ▁N ixon ▁announced ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁program ▁on ▁ 5 ▁January ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Edwards ▁was ▁chosen ▁for ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁orb iter ▁testing . ▁The ▁prototype ▁ ▁was ▁carried ▁to ▁alt itude ▁by ▁the ▁Sh utt le ▁Car rier ▁A ircraft ▁( S CA ) ▁and ▁released . ▁In ▁all , ▁ 1 3 ▁test ▁fl ights ▁were ▁conducted ▁with ▁the ▁Enter prise ▁and ▁the ▁S CA ▁to ▁determine ▁their ▁flight ▁characteristics ▁and ▁handling . ▁ ▁After ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Columbia ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁sh utt le ▁launched ▁into ▁orbit ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁it ▁returned ▁to ▁Edwards ▁for ▁landing . ▁The ▁air base ' s ▁immense ▁lake bed s ▁and ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁Plant ▁ 4 2 , ▁where ▁the