How a Boeing 747 Can Carry a Space Shuttle is Amazing

The Boeing 747 is an incredibly versatile aircraft, even used to carry the Space Shuttle on its back. I remember seeing memes questioning why there are luggage weight restrictions on Boeing 747 flights when the aircraft can carry a whole Space Shuttle! However, this isn’t your typical passenger Jumbo Jet; it has been highly modified for a specific purpose. It cannot carry passengers and the Space Shuttle simultaneously, which means it has its limitations.

You might be wondering how the Boeing 747 can carry a Space Shuttle, given the orbiter’s immense size and weight. The type of aircraft used for this task is known as the “Shuttle Carrier Aircraft” (SCA), which has been completely modified and designed to transport the orbiter from its landing site back to the launch site. Since the landing fields for the orbiters are not always the same as the launch sites, transporting them by land can be both challenging and impractical. NASA’s solution? Use a ‘”queen”.

The Boeing 747 the Carries the Space Shuttle

The two base 747s used for the SCA were both 747-100 variants: the 747-123 and the 747-100SR-46. These models were specifically chosen because they met the required performance standards for conversion into an SCA. The first 747-100 was acquired from American Airlines in 1974 (NASA 905). The second SCA, (NASA 911), was acquired from Japan Airlines in 1989 and is a specialized short-range version called the 747-100SR, designed to carry over 500 passengers for short distances. I plan to write an article about this special 747 soon.

NASA made several modifications to the Boeing 747 to securely carry the Space Shuttle. Engineers reinforced the fuselage and added three large struts on top of the aircraft—two at the rear and one at the front—to support the orbiter’s weight. Additional vertical stabilizers were also installed at the tips of the horizontal stabilizers to improve directional stability during flight.

The interior of the aircraft was stripped of all furnishings and equipment behind the forward No. 1 doors to reduce weight and create space for the necessary structural reinforcements. Specialized instrumentation was installed to allow flight crews to monitor the orbiter’s electrical loads during ferry flights and pre- and post-flight operations.

Performance and Specifications of the SCA

Both SCAs operated with four Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J turbofan engines, each producing 48,600 pounds of thrust. The aircraft typically cruised at altitudes of 13,000 to 15,000 feet while carrying the orbiter, with a speed limit of 250 knots (Mach 0.6). The range was approximately 1,000 nautical miles when carrying the shuttle, compared to 5,500 nautical miles without an orbiter.

NASA 905 completed 70 of the 87 ferry flights, including 46 of the 54 post-mission flights from Dryden to Kennedy Space Center. After the retirement of the shuttle program, NASA 905 delivered the orbiters Discovery, Enterprise, and Endeavour to museums. The aircraft was retired in late 2012 after accumulating 11,018 flight hours over 42 years and is now displayed at Space Center Houston.

NASA 911 completed 386 flights as an SCA, with 66 of those carrying a space shuttle. It participated in 17 post-mission ferry flights from Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center. NASA retired this aircraft on February 8, 2012, and it is currently on display at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California.

So, I hope you now have a better understanding of how the Boeing 747 can carry the NASA Space Shuttle. These planes are heavily modified for this task, and it’s amazing to see how the “Queen of the Skies” can fulfill multiple roles—from a passenger airliner to a cargo aircraft to a military aircraft, and even as a Shuttle carrier. I now wonder if the Airbus A380 will be able to do the same.