Why NASA Strapped the Space Shuttle On Top of a 747

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]A fully assembled space shuttle weighed about 170,000 lb. So, how do you move it across the country? You strap it to the back of a Boeing 747 and fly it like the world's most insane delivery truck. NASA actually modified 2747 specifically for this job, reinforcing the fuselage and adding special mounting points on the spine of the aircraft.

[00:00:24]Think of it like a piggyback ride, except one passenger weighs as much as 85 cars. The shuttle couldn't fly itself from the factory in California [music] to the launch pad in Florida. It was a glider with no jet engines for cruising.

[00:00:39]So the 747, called the shuttle carrier aircraft, became its personal chauffeur.

[00:00:45]Pilots had to account for the massive drag the shuttle created. The whole combo flew slower and lower than a normal 747.

[00:00:53]It's a reminder that even the most [music] advanced spacecraft ever built needed a little help getting where it was going. Follow for Daily Science in 60 seconds.