Can a 747 carry the space shuttle?
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747–100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR.
Why does the space shuttle piggyback on a 747?
Answer: NASA and Boeing have some very smart aeronautical engineers. They calculated that the shuttle could ride safely and securely. They had attachment points built into the 747 to handle the weight and movement of the shuttle. The 747 produces enough lift to fly and to carry the weight of the shuttle.
Does space shuttle have engines to land?
Space Shuttle Flying as a Glider. A glider is a special kind of aircraft that has no engine. The Wright Brothers perfected the design of the first airplane and gained piloting experience through a series of glider flights from 1900 to 1903. The Space Shuttle flies as a glider during reentry and landing.
Can a space shuttle take off like an airplane?
It absolutely can not take off like a normal plane. It would require LARGE engines to do that. It does have a fuel tank for the reentry rockets and maneuvering jets. However, those do not provide anything close to takeoff speeds.
What speed does a space shuttle take off?
The ascent phase begins at liftoff and ends at insertion into a circular or elliptical orbit around the Earth. To reach the minimum altitude required to orbit the Earth, the space shuttle must accelerate from zero to 8,000 meters per second (almost 18,000 miles per hour) in eight and a half minutes.
Is space shuttle a glider?
The space shuttle is a unique lifting body in that it is a high-tech glider. The space shuttle is made up of four parts: an orbiter (the shuttle itself), two solid rocket boosters (both reusable) and one external fuel tank (which is not reusable).
Does the space shuttle have engines?
The three Space Shuttle Main Engines, in conjunction with the Solid Rocket Boosters, provide the thrust to lift the Orbiter off the ground for the initial ascent. The main engines continue to operate for 8.5 minutes after launch, the duration of the Shuttle’s powered flight.
Is a space shuttle bigger than an airplane?
The space shuttles measure 57 feet tall and 122 feet long, with a wingspan of 78 feet. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, by contrast, is 63 feet tall and 232 feet long, with a wingspan of 196 feet.
How much weight can a 747 lift?
The 747-400F has a maximum takeoff weight of 875,000 pounds (397,000 kg) and a maximum payload of 274,100 pounds (124,000 kg).
Why did the Space Shuttle have a 747 on top?
Mounting struts were added on top of the 747, located to match the fittings on the Shuttle that attach it to the external fuel tank for launch. With the Shuttle riding on top, the center of gravity was altered. Vertical stabilizers were added to the tail to improve stability when the Orbiter was being carried.
What is the difference between a 747 and a 747-100SR?
One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR. The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center.
What kind of planes did NASA use to transport the shuttle?
Extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One is a 747-100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR.
What time did the 747 fly over Washington DC?
The 747 and Discovery flew over Washington, D.C. and the metropolitan area around 10 a.m. and arrived at Dulles around 11 a.m. The flyover and landing were widely covered on national news media.