Shuttle Carrier Aircraft: Difference between revisions

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
	NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 (front) and 911 (back) flying in formation in 2011
General information
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Boeing
Owners	905:; American Airlines (1970–1974); NASA (1974–2011); 911:; Japan Airlines (1973–1988); NASA (1988–2011);
Number built	2
Registration	N905NA, N911NA
Aircraft carried	Space Shuttle, Phantom Ray
History
Retired	2012
Developed from	905: Boeing 747-100; 911: Boeing 747-100SR;
Preserved at	905: Space Center Houston; 911: Joe Davies Heritage Airpark;
Fate	Both aircraft preserved

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Latest revision as of 18:56, 31 August 2024

The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 airliners that NASA used to transport Space Shuttle orbiters. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short-range 747-100SR. Both are now retired.

The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by Mate-Demate Devices, large gantry-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights.

In approach and landing test flights conducted in 1977, the test shuttle Enterprise was released from an SCA during flight and glided to a landing under its own control.^[3]

Design and development

The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy was considered for the shuttle-carrier role by NASA but rejected in favor of the 747. This was due to the 747's low-wing design in comparison to the C-5's high-wing design, and also because the U.S. Air Force would have retained ownership of the C-5, while NASA could own the 747s outright.

The first aircraft, a Boeing 747-123 registered N905NA, was originally manufactured for American Airlines. With a decline in air traffic and failure to fill their 747s, American Airlines sold it to NASA. It still wore the visible American cheatlines while testing Enterprise in the 1970s. It was acquired in 1974 and initially used for trailing wake vortex research as part of a broader study by NASA Dryden, as well as Shuttle tests involving an F-104 flying in close formation and simulating a release from the 747.

The aircraft was extensively modified for NASA by Boeing in 1976.^[4] While first-class seats were kept for NASA passengers, its main cabin and insulation were stripped,^[5] and the fuselage was strengthened. 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.^[6] 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. The avionics and engines were also upgraded.

An internal escape slide was added behind the flight deck^[7] in case of catastrophic failure mid-flight. In the event of a bail-out, explosives would be detonated to make an opening in the fuselage at the bottom of the slide, allowing the crew to exit through the slide and parachute to the ground. The slide system was removed following the Approach and Landing Tests because of concerns over the possibility of escaping crew members being ingested into an engine.^[8]

Flying with the additional drag and weight of the Orbiter imposed significant fuel and altitude penalties. The range was reduced to 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi), compared to an unladen range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi), requiring an SCA to stop several times to refuel on a transcontinental flight.^[9] Without the Orbiter, the SCA needed to carry ballast to balance its center of gravity.^[5] The SCA had an altitude ceiling of 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.6 with the orbiter attached.^[9] A crew of 170 took a week to prepare the shuttle and SCA for flight.^[10]

Studies were conducted to equip the SCA with aerial refueling equipment, a modification already made to the U.S. Air Force E-4 (modified 747-200s) and 747 tanker transports for the IIAF. However, during formation flying with a tanker aircraft to test refueling approaches, minor cracks were spotted on the tailfin of N905NA. While these were not likely to have been caused by the test flights, it was felt that there was no sense taking unnecessary risks. Since there was no urgent need to provide an aerial refueling capacity, the tests were suspended.

By 1983, SCA N905NA no longer carried the distinct American Airlines tricolor cheatline. NASA replaced it with its own livery, consisting of a white fuselage and a single blue cheatline.^[11] That year, after secretly being fitted with an infrared countermeasures system to protect it from heat-seeking missiles,^[12] it was also used to fly Enterprise on a tour in Europe, with refueling stops in Goose Bay, Canada; Keflavik, Iceland; England; and West Germany. It then went to the Paris Air Show.^[10]

In 1988, in the wake of the Challenger accident, NASA procured a surplus 747SR-46 from Japan Airlines. Registered N911NA, it entered service with NASA in 1990 after undergoing modifications similar to N905NA. It was first used in 1991 to ferry the new shuttle Endeavour from the manufacturers in Palmdale, California to Kennedy Space Center.

Based at the Dryden Flight Research Center within Edwards Air Force Base in California^[5] the two aircraft were functionally identical, although N911NA has five upper-deck windows on each side, while N905NA has only two.

The rear mounting points on both aircraft were labeled with humorous instructions to "attach orbiter here" or "place orbiter here", clarified by the precautionary note "black side down".^[13]^[14]

Shuttle Carriers were capable of operating from alternative shuttle landing sites such as those in the United Kingdom, Spain, and France. Because Shuttle Carrier's range is reduced while mated to an orbiter, additional preparations such as removal of the payload from the orbiter may have been necessary to reduce its weight.^[15]

Boeing transported its Phantom Ray unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator from St. Louis, Missouri, to Edwards on a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on December 11, 2010.^[16]

Approach and Landing Tests

The Approach and Landing Tests were a series of taxi and flight trials of the prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base in 1977. They verified the shuttle's flight characteristics when mated to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and when flying on its own, prior to the Shuttle system becoming operational. There were 3 taxi tests, 8 captive flight tests and 5 free flight tests.^[7]

Ferry flights

During the decades of Shuttle operations, the SCAs were most often used to transport the orbiters from Edwards Air Force Base, the shuttle's secondary landing site, to the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the Kennedy Space Center where the orbiter was processed for another launch. The SCAs were also used to transport the orbiters between manufacturer Rockwell International and NASA during initial delivery and mid-life refits.^[17]

At the end of the Space Shuttle program the SCA was used to deliver the retired orbiters from the Kennedy Space Center to their museums.

Discovery was flown to the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum at the Dulles International Airport on April 17, 2012, making low-level passes over Washington, D.C. landmarks before landing. Enterprise, which had been on display at the Smithsonian was transported to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City on April 27, 2012, making low-level passes over the city's landmarks, before landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where it was transferred by barge to the museum.

The last ferry flight took Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center to Los Angeles between September 19 and 21, 2012 with refueling stops at Ellington Field and Edwards Air Force Base. After leaving Edwards the SCA with Endeavour performed low level flyovers above various landmarks across California, from Sacramento to the San Francisco Bay Area, before finally being delivered to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). From there the orbiter was transported through the streets of Los Angeles and Inglewood to its final destination, the California Science Center in Exposition Park.

Retirement

Shuttle Carrier N911NA was retired on February 8, 2012, after its final mission to the Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, California, and was used as a source of parts for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft, another modified Boeing 747.^[18] N911NA is now preserved and on display at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California as part of a long-term loan to the city from NASA.^[19]^[20]

Shuttle Carrier N905NA was used to ferry the retired Space Shuttles to their respective museums. After delivering Endeavour to the Los Angeles International Airport in September 2012, the aircraft was flown to the Dryden Flight Research Facility, where NASA intended it to join N911NA as a source of spare parts for NASA's SOFIA aircraft,^[18]^[21] but when NASA engineers surveyed N905NA they determined that it had few parts usable for SOFIA. In 2013, a decision was made to preserve N905NA and display it at Space Center Houston with the mockup Space Shuttle Independence mounted on its back.^[22] N905NA was flown to Ellington Field where it was carefully dismantled, ferried to the Johnson Space Center in seven major pieces (a process called The Big Move), reassembled, and finally mated with the replica shuttle in August 2014.^[23] The display, called Independence Plaza, opened to the public for the first time on January 23, 2016.^[24]

Specifications

Data from Boeing 747-100 specifications^[25] Jenkins 2000^[9]

General characteristics

Crew: Four: two pilots, two flight engineers (one flight engineer when not carrying Shuttle)
Capacity: 108,999.6 kg (240,303 lb) payload (external Shuttle Orbiter Cargo)
Length: 231 ft 4 in (70.51 m)
Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in (59.64 m)
Height: 63 ft 5 in (19.33 m)
Wing area: 5,500 sq ft (510 m²)
Empty weight: 318,000 lb (144,242 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 710,000 lb (322,051 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J turbofan engines, 50,000 lbf (220 kN) thrust each

Performance

Cruise speed: 250 kn (290 mph, 460 km/h) / M0.6 with Shuttle Orbiter loaded
Range: 1,150 nmi (1,320 mi, 2,130 km) with Shuttle Orbiter loaded
Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m) with Shuttle Orbiter loaded

References

^ "FAA Registry (N905NA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
^ "FAA Registry (N911NA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
^ NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (1977). "Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ECN-8607. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2007.
^ Jenkins, Dennis R. (2000). Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP. AirlinerTech Series. Vol. 6. Specialty Press. pp. 36–38. ISBN 1-58007-026-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c Brack, Jon (September 17, 2012). "Inside the Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft". National Geographic. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
^ "How was Enterprise held/released from the carrier 747 for the Shuttle approach and landing tests?". Space Exploration Stack Exchange. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Approach and Landing Test Evaluation Team (February 1978). Space Shuttle Orbiter Approach and Landing Test: Final Evaluation Report (PDF). Houston: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
^ Creech, Gray (August 22, 2003). "Gravel Haulers: NASA's 747 Shuttle Carriers" (Press release). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jenkins (2000), pp. 38–39.
^ ^a ^b Gilette, Felix (August 9, 2005). "How the Space Shuttle Flies Home". Slate. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
^ Comparison of photos taken in 1982 and 1983 at Airliners.net
^ Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick and Tyler (January 27, 2022). "Space Shuttle Carrying 747 Was Secretly Modified To Defend Itself From Heat-Seeking Missiles (Updated)". The Drive. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
^ 2003 Edwards Air Force Base Air Show, see Shuttle Carrier images.
^ Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA album on Photobucket
^ "Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites" (PDF). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. December 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
^ Boeing Phantom Ray to catch shuttle ride at Lambert
^ "STS Chronology". National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
^ ^a ^b "NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 911's Final Flight". Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
^ Gibbs, Yvonne (September 12, 2014). "Final Journey: SCA 911 on Display at Davies Airpark" (Press release). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
^ Gibbs, Yvonne (September 24, 2014). "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Shuttle Carrier Aircraft". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
^ Landis, Tony. "A graphic history of 35 years of Space Shuttle ferry flights now adorns the upper forward fuselage of NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
^ "Houston's Shuttle Gets New Name, Familiar Ride". Spaceflight Insider. October 8, 2013.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Hays, Brooks (August 14, 2014). "Shuttle replica lifted and put on top of 747 carrier". SpaceDaily. United Press International.
^ Cofield, Calla (January 29, 2016). "Seeing Is Believing: Enormous Shuttle Program Artifact Inspires Wonder". Space.com. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
^ Boeing 747-100 Technical Specifications, Boeing

External links

NASA fact sheet Archived January 6, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
NASA SCA images
Interview with SCA Pilot and Former Astronaut Gordon Fullerton Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
Interview with SCA Crew Chief Pete Seidl Archived July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
"Hoot Gibson talks about John Kiker's 747 ferry model" on YouTube
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. TX-116-L, "Space Transportation System, Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX", 8 photos, 3 color transparencies, 3 photo caption pages

[1] "FAA Registry (N905NA)". Federal Aviation Administration.

[2] "FAA Registry (N911NA)". Federal Aviation Administration.

[ff-3] NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (1977). "Shuttle Enterprise Free Flight". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ECN-8607. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2007.

[Jenkins_2000_p36-4] Jenkins, Dennis R. (2000). Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP. AirlinerTech Series. Vol. 6. Specialty Press. pp. 36–38. ISBN 1-58007-026-4.

[brack20120917-5] Brack, Jon (September 17, 2012). "Inside the Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft". National Geographic. Retrieved September 17, 2012.

[6] "How was Enterprise held/released from the carrier 747 for the Shuttle approach and landing tests?". Space Exploration Stack Exchange. Retrieved May 28, 2024.

[ALTfinalreport-7] Approach and Landing Test Evaluation Team (February 1978). Space Shuttle Orbiter Approach and Landing Test: Final Evaluation Report (PDF). Houston: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Retrieved April 21, 2020.

[8] Creech, Gray (August 22, 2003). "Gravel Haulers: NASA's 747 Shuttle Carriers" (Press release). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.

[Jenkins_2000_p38-9] Jenkins (2000), pp. 38–39.

[slate-10] Gilette, Felix (August 9, 2005). "How the Space Shuttle Flies Home". Slate. Retrieved June 1, 2019.

[11] Comparison of photos taken in 1982 and 1983 at Airliners.net

[12] Rogoway, Joseph Trevithick and Tyler (January 27, 2022). "Space Shuttle Carrying 747 Was Secretly Modified To Defend Itself From Heat-Seeking Missiles (Updated)". The Drive. Retrieved January 29, 2022.

[13] 2003 Edwards Air Force Base Air Show, see Shuttle Carrier images.

[14] Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA album on Photobucket

[FS-2006-01-004-KSC-15] "Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites" (PDF). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. December 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 25, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2009.

[16] Boeing Phantom Ray to catch shuttle ride at Lambert

[chron-17] "STS Chronology". National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

[autogenerated1-18] "NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 911's Final Flight". Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2012.

[19] Gibbs, Yvonne (September 12, 2014). "Final Journey: SCA 911 on Display at Davies Airpark" (Press release). National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2018.

[20] Gibbs, Yvonne (September 24, 2014). "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Shuttle Carrier Aircraft". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved June 15, 2018.

[21] Landis, Tony. "A graphic history of 35 years of Space Shuttle ferry flights now adorns the upper forward fuselage of NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012.

[22] "Houston's Shuttle Gets New Name, Familiar Ride". Spaceflight Insider. October 8, 2013.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[23] Hays, Brooks (August 14, 2014). "Shuttle replica lifted and put on top of 747 carrier". SpaceDaily. United Press International.

[24] Cofield, Calla (January 29, 2016). "Seeing Is Believing: Enormous Shuttle Program Artifact Inspires Wonder". Space.com. Retrieved December 20, 2022.

[25] Boeing 747-100 Technical Specifications, Boeing

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Use American English|date=May 2020}}
 {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
+{{Infobox aircraft
-<!-- This article is a part of the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProect Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
+| name                     = Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
-{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
-  |name = Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
+| image                    = NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 (front) and 911 (rear).jpg
+| image_size               =
-  |image = File:NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 (front) and 911 (rear).jpg
+| alt                      =
-  |caption = NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 (foreground) and 911 (background)
+| image_caption            = NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 (front) and 911 (back) flying in formation in 2011
-}}{{Infobox aircraft type
+| long_caption             =
-  |type = [[Outsize cargo]] [[freight aircraft]]
+| other_names              =
-  |manufacturer = [[Boeing]]
+| aircraft_type            =
-  |first flight =
+| aircraft_role            =
-  |introduced = 1977
+| national_origin          = {{USA}}
-  |status = Retired, both aircraft preserved
+| manufacturer             = [[Boeing]]
-  |primary user = [[NASA]]
+| design_group             =
-  |more users = [[Boeing]]
+| designer                 =
-  |number built = 2
+| builder                  =
-  |developed from = [[Boeing 747]]–100
+| issuer                   =
-  |variants with their own articles =
+| owners                   ={{Unbulleted list
-  |retired = 2012
+   | '''905''':
+   | [[American Airlines]] (1970–1974)
+   | [[NASA]] (1974–2011)
+   | '''911''':
+   | [[Japan Airlines]] (1973–1988)
+   | [[NASA]] (1988–2011)
+   }}
+| service                  =
+| major_applications       =
+| proposals                =
+| prototypes               =
+| number_built             = 2
+| civil_registration       = {{Airreg|N|905NA}}, {{Airreg|N|911NA}}
+| military_serial          =
+| radio_code               =
+| requirement              =
+| aircraft_carried         = [[Space Shuttle]], [[Phantom Ray]]
+| flights                  =
+| total_hours              =
+| total_distance           =
+| construction_date        =
+| introduction             =
+| first_flight             =
+| first_run                =
+| initiated                =
+| developed_from           = {{Unbulleted list
+   | '''905''': [[Boeing 747#747-100|Boeing 747-100]]
+   | '''911''': [[Boeing 747#747SR|Boeing 747-100SR]]
+   }}
+| in_service               =
+| last_flight              =
+| retired                  = 2012
+| concluded                =
+| developed_into           =
+| preservation             = {{Unbulleted list
+   | '''905''': [[Space Center Houston]]
+   | '''911''': [[Joe Davies Heritage Airpark]]
+   }}
+| fate                     = Both aircraft preserved
+| predecessors             =
+| successors               =
+| related                  =
 }}
-|}
-The '''Shuttle Carrier Aircraft''' ('''SCA''') are two extensively modified [[Boeing 747]] airliners that [[NASA]] used to transport [[Space Shuttle orbiter]]s. One is a 747–100 model, while the other is a short range 747-100SR.
+The '''Shuttle Carrier Aircraft''' ('''SCA''') are two extensively modified [[Boeing 747]] airliners that [[NASA]] used to transport [[Space Shuttle orbiter]]s. One (N905NA) is a 747-100 model, while the other (N911NA) is a short-range 747-100SR. Both are now retired.
 The SCAs were used to ferry Space Shuttles from landing sites back to the [[Shuttle Landing Facility]] at the [[Kennedy Space Center]]. The orbiters were placed on top of the SCAs by [[Mate-Demate Device]]s, large [[Gantry crane|gantry]]-like structures that hoisted the orbiters off the ground for post-flight servicing then mated them with the SCAs for ferry flights.
@@ Line 29: / Line 70: @@
 ==Design and development==
-The [[Lockheed C-5 Galaxy]] was considered for the shuttle-carrier role by NASA, but rejected in favor of the 747. This was due to the 747's low-wing design in comparison to the C-5's high-wing design, and also because the [[U.S. Air Force]] would have retained ownership of the C-5, while NASA could own the 747s outright.
+The [[Lockheed C-5 Galaxy]] was considered for the shuttle-carrier role by NASA but rejected in favor of the 747. This was due to the 747's low-wing design in comparison to the C-5's high-wing design, and also because the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] would have retained ownership of the C-5, while NASA could own the 747s outright.
-[[File:Shuttle Enterprise at Ellington Airfield 1978 4.jpg|thumb|left|Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA, in [[American Airlines]] livery, with ''Enterprise'' in 1978]]
+[[File:Shuttle Enterprise at Ellington Airfield 1978 4.jpg|thumb|left|Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA, still in [[American Airlines]] livery, with ''Enterprise'' in 1978]]
-The first aircraft, a Boeing 747–123 registered N905NA, was originally manufactured for [[American Airlines]]. With a decline in air traffic and failure to fill their 747s, [[American Airlines]] sold it to NASA. Upon testing, it still wore the visible American [[cheatline]]s while testing ''Enterprise'' in the 1970s. It was acquired in 1974 and initially used for trailing wake vortex research as part of a broader study by [[Dryden Flight Research Center|NASA Dryden]], as well as Shuttle tests involving an [[F-104 Starfighter|F-104]] flying in close formation and simulating a release from the 747.
+The first aircraft, a Boeing 747-123 registered N905NA, was originally manufactured for [[American Airlines]]. With a decline in air traffic and failure to fill their 747s, American Airlines sold it to NASA. It still wore the visible American [[cheatline]]s while testing ''Enterprise'' in the 1970s. It was acquired in 1974 and initially used for trailing wake vortex research as part of a broader study by [[Dryden Flight Research Center|NASA Dryden]], as well as Shuttle tests involving an [[F-104 Starfighter|F-104]] flying in close formation and simulating a release from the 747.
-The aircraft was extensively modified for NASA by Boeing in 1976.<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p36">{{cite book |last = Jenkins |first = Dennis R. |title = Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP |series = AirlinerTech Series |volume = 6 |publisher = Specialty Press |year = 2000 |isbn = 1-58007-026-4 |pages = 36–38 }}</ref> While first-class seats were kept for NASA passengers, its main cabin and insulation were stripped,{{r|brack20120917}} and the fuselage was strengthened. 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.<ref>[https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/25684/how-was-enterprise-held-released-from-the-carrier-747-for-the-shuttle-approach-a How was Enterprise Held and Released from the Carrier 747]</ref> 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. The [[avionics]] and engines were also upgraded.
+The aircraft was extensively modified for NASA by Boeing in 1976.<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p36">{{cite book |last = Jenkins |first = Dennis R. |title = Boeing 747-100/200/300/SP |series = AirlinerTech Series |volume = 6 |publisher = Specialty Press |year = 2000 |isbn = 1-58007-026-4 |pages = 36–38 }}</ref> While first-class seats were kept for NASA passengers, its main cabin and insulation were stripped,{{r|brack20120917}} and the fuselage was strengthened. 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How was Enterprise held/released from the carrier 747 for the Shuttle approach and landing tests? |url=https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/25684/how-was-enterprise-held-released-from-the-carrier-747-for-the-shuttle-approach-a |access-date=2024-05-28 |website=Space Exploration Stack Exchange}}</ref> 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. The [[avionics]] and engines were also upgraded.
-An internal escape slide was added behind the flight deck<ref name=ALTfinalreport>{{cite book |author = Approach and Landing Test Evaluation Team  |date = February 1978 |title = Space Shuttle Orbiter Approach and Landing Test: Final Evaluation Report |url = http://www.klabs.org/DEI/References/general/alt_final_report.pdf |location = Houston |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |access-date = April 21, 2020 }}</ref> in case of catastrophic failure mid-flight. In the event of a bail-out, explosives would be detonated to make an opening in the fuselage at the bottom of the slide, allowing the crew to exit through the slide and parachute to the ground. The slide system was removed following the Approach and Landing Tests because of concerns over the possibility of escaping crew members being ingested into an engine.<ref>{{Cite press release |last = Creech |first = Gray |date = August 22, 2003 |url = https://www.nasa.gov/news/special/747_Shuttle_Carriers.html |title = Gravel Haulers: NASA's 747 Shuttle Carriers |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |language = en |access-date = April 20, 2020 }}</ref>
+An internal escape slide was added behind the flight deck<ref name=ALTfinalreport>{{cite book |author = Approach and Landing Test Evaluation Team  |date = February 1978 |title = Space Shuttle Orbiter Approach and Landing Test: Final Evaluation Report |url = http://www.klabs.org/DEI/References/general/alt_final_report.pdf |location = Houston |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center |access-date = April 21, 2020 }}</ref> in case of catastrophic failure mid-flight. In the event of a bail-out, explosives would be detonated to make an opening in the fuselage at the bottom of the slide, allowing the crew to exit through the slide and parachute to the ground. The slide system was removed following the Approach and Landing Tests because of concerns over the possibility of escaping crew members being ingested into an engine.<ref>{{Cite press release |last = Creech |first = Gray |date = August 22, 2003 |url = https://www.nasa.gov/news/special/747_Shuttle_Carriers.html |title = Gravel Haulers: NASA's 747 Shuttle Carriers |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |language = en |access-date = April 20, 2020 |archive-date = September 25, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200925170921/https://www.nasa.gov/news/special/747_Shuttle_Carriers.html |url-status = dead }}</ref>
+Flying with the additional drag and weight of the Orbiter imposed significant fuel and altitude penalties. The range was reduced to {{convert|1000|nmi}}, compared to an unladen range of {{convert|5500|nmi}}, requiring an SCA to stop several times to refuel on a transcontinental flight.<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p38">{{harvp|Jenkins|2000|pp=38–39}}.</ref> Without the Orbiter, the SCA needed to carry [[ballast]] to balance its center of gravity.<ref name="brack20120917">{{cite web |url = https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/09/17/inside-the-space-shuttle-carrier-aircraft/ |title = Inside the Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft |work = National Geographic |date = September 17, 2012 |access-date = September 17, 2012 |last = Brack |first = Jon }}</ref> The SCA had an altitude ceiling of {{convert|15000|ft|||}} and a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.6 with the orbiter attached.<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p38" /> A crew of 170 took a week to prepare the shuttle and SCA for flight.<ref name="slate">{{cite web |first = Felix |last = Gilette |url = https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2005/08/how-the-space-shuttle-flies-home.html |title = How the Space Shuttle Flies Home |date = August 9, 2005 |work = Slate |access-date = June 1, 2019 }}</ref>
-[[File:Shuttle mate demate facility.jpg|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']] being mated to SCA N911NA at [[Dryden Flight Research Center]]]]
+Studies were conducted to equip the SCA with [[aerial refueling]] equipment, a modification already made to the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] [[Boeing E-4|E-4]] (modified 747-200s) and 747 tanker transports for the [[Air force history of Iran|IIAF]]. However, during formation flying with a tanker aircraft to test refueling approaches, minor cracks were spotted on the tailfin of N905NA. While these were not likely to have been caused by the test flights, it was felt that there was no sense taking unnecessary risks.  Since there was no urgent need to provide an aerial refueling capacity, the tests were suspended.[[File:Atlantis on Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.jpg|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']] atop Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA after being repainted with NASA livery in 1998]]By 1983, SCA N905NA no longer carried the distinct American Airlines tricolor [[cheatline]]. NASA replaced it with its own livery, consisting of a white fuselage and a single blue cheatline.<ref>Comparison of photos taken in [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=%3Dboeing%5C+747*&airlinesearch=NASA&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=1982&keywords=&range=&sort_order=datestamp+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=&searchSubmit=Searching%2C+please+wait... 1982] and [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=%3Dboeing%5C+747*&airlinesearch=NASA&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=1983&keywords=&range=&sort_order=datestamp+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=&searchSubmit=Searching%2C+please+wait... 1983] at [[Airliners.net]]</ref> That year, after secretly being fitted with an [[Infrared countermeasure|infrared countermeasures system]] to protect it from [[heat-seeking missile|heat-seeking missiles]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogoway|first=Joseph Trevithick and Tyler|title=Space Shuttle Carrying 747 Was Secretly Modified To Defend Itself From Heat-Seeking Missiles (Updated)|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43681/space-shuttle-carrying-747-was-secretly-modified-to-defend-itself-from-heat-seeking-missiles|access-date=2022-01-29|website=The Drive|date=January 27, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> it was also used to fly ''Enterprise'' on a tour in Europe, with refueling stops in [[Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Goose Bay]], Canada; [[Keflavik, Iceland]]; England; and West Germany. It then went to the [[Paris Air Show]].<ref name="slate"/>
+[[File:SCA and Endeavour at Ellington Field, 1991.jpg|left|thumb|Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA, shortly after purchase, with newly built shuttle ''Endeavour'' in 1991.]]
+In 1988, in the wake of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' accident]], NASA procured a surplus 747SR-46 from [[Japan Airlines]].  Registered N911NA, it entered service with NASA in 1990 after undergoing modifications similar to N905NA. It was first used in 1991 to ferry the new shuttle [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|''Endeavour'']] from the manufacturers in [[Palmdale, California]] to [[Kennedy Space Center]].
+[[File:Shuttle mounting point.JPG|thumb|Humorous note on mount reminding technicians how to connect the orbiter to the SCA]]
-Flying with the additional drag and weight of the Orbiter imposed significant fuel and altitude penalties. The range was reduced to {{convert|1000|nmi|mi km||}}, compared to an unladen range of {{convert|5500|nmi|mi km||}}, requiring an SCA to stop several times to refuel on a transcontinental flight.<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p38">{{harvp|Jenkins|2000|pp= 38–39}}.</ref> Without the Orbiter, the SCA needed to carry [[ballast]] to balance its center of gravity.<ref name="brack20120917">{{cite web |url = https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2012/09/17/inside-the-space-shuttle-carrier-aircraft/ |title = Inside the Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft |work = National Geographic |date = September 17, 2012 |access-date = September 17, 2012 |last = Brack |first = Jon }}</ref> The SCA had an altitude ceiling of {{convert|15000|ft|||}} and a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.6 with the orbiter attached.<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p38"/> A crew of 170 took a week to prepare the shuttle and SCA for flight.<ref name="slate">{{cite web |first = Felix |last = Gilette |url = https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2005/08/how-the-space-shuttle-flies-home.html |title = How the Space Shuttle Flies Home |date = August 9, 2005 |work = Slate |access-date = June 1, 2019 }}</ref>
+Based at the [[Dryden Flight Research Center]] within [[Edwards Air Force Base]] in California{{r|brack20120917}} the two aircraft were functionally identical, although N911NA has five upper-deck windows on each side, while N905NA has only two.
-[[File:STS-32 Return to KSC - GPN-2000-000677.jpg|thumb|left|[[Space Shuttle Columbia|''Columbia'']] atop SCA N905NA, flying by the [[Vehicle Assembly Building]] (VAB) at [[Kennedy Space Center]] (KSC), 1990. N905NA no longer has American Airlines' pinstriping.]]
+The rear mounting points on both aircraft were labeled with humorous instructions to "attach orbiter here" or "place orbiter here", clarified by the precautionary note "black side down".<ref>[http://edwards.airshowjournal.com/2003/ 2003 Edwards Air Force Base Air Show], see Shuttle Carrier images.</ref><ref>[http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/ASFalcon13/Shuttle%20Carrier%20Aircraft%20N911NA/ Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA album on Photobucket]</ref>
-Studies were conducted to equip the SCA with [[aerial refueling]] equipment, a modification already made to the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] [[Boeing E-4|E-4]] (modified 747-200s) and 747 tanker transports for the [[IIAF]]. However, during formation flying with a tanker aircraft to test refueling approaches, minor cracks were spotted on the tailfin of N905NA. While these were not likely to have been caused by the test flights, it was felt that there was no sense taking unnecessary risks.  Since there was no urgent need to provide an aerial refueling capacity, the tests were suspended.
-[[File:STS Challenger on 747 SCA.jpg|thumb|Carrier 905 with the newly built [[Space Shuttle Challenger|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'']] over Dryden, 1982]]
-By 1983, SCA N905NA no longer carried the distinct American Airlines tricolor [[cheatline]]. NASA replaced it with its own livery, consisting of a white fuselage and a single blue cheatline.<ref>Comparison of photos taken in [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=%3Dboeing%5C+747*&airlinesearch=NASA&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=1982&keywords=&range=&sort_order=datestamp+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=&searchSubmit=Searching%2C+please+wait... 1982] and [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=%3Dboeing%5C+747*&airlinesearch=NASA&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=1983&keywords=&range=&sort_order=datestamp+desc&page_limit=15&thumbnails=&searchSubmit=Searching%2C+please+wait... 1983] at [[Airliners.net]]</ref> That year, after secretly being fitted with an [[Infrared countermeasure|infrared countermeasures system]] to protect it from [[heat-seeking missile|heat-seeking missiles]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogoway|first=Joseph Trevithick and Tyler|title=Space Shuttle Carrying 747 Was Secretly Modified To Defend Itself From Heat-Seeking Missiles (Updated)|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/43681/space-shuttle-carrying-747-was-secretly-modified-to-defend-itself-from-heat-seeking-missiles|access-date=2022-01-29|website=The Drive|language=en}}</ref> was also used to fly ''Enterprise'' on a tour in Europe, with refueling stops in [[Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Goose Bay]], Canada; [[Keflavik, Iceland]]; England; and West Germany. It then went to the [[Paris Air Show]].<ref name="slate"/>
+Shuttle Carriers were capable of operating from [[Space Shuttle abort modes|alternative shuttle landing sites]] such as those in the United Kingdom, Spain, and France. Because Shuttle Carrier's range is reduced while mated to an orbiter, additional preparations such as removal of the payload from the orbiter may have been necessary to reduce its weight.<ref name="FS-2006-01-004-KSC">{{cite web |url = http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/167472main_TALsites-06.pdf |title = Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |date = December 2006 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date = July 1, 2009 |archive-date = February 25, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100225085509/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/167472main_TALsites-06.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref>
-In 1988, in the wake of the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|''Challenger'' accident]], NASA procured a surplus 747SR-46 from [[Japan Airlines]].  Registered N911NA, it entered service with NASA in 1990 after undergoing modifications similar to N905NA. It was first used in 1991 to ferry the new shuttle [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|''Endeavour'']] from the manufacturers in [[Palmdale, California]] to [[Kennedy Space Center]].
+[[Boeing]] transported its [[Boeing Phantom Ray|Phantom Ray]] [[unmanned combat aerial vehicle]] (UCAV) demonstrator from St. Louis, Missouri, to Edwards on a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on December 11, 2010.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2010/12/03/boeing-phantom-ray-to-catch-shuttle-ride.html Boeing Phantom Ray to catch shuttle ride at Lambert]</ref>
-[[File:Shuttle mounting point.JPG|thumb|Humorous note on Orbiter Mount reminding technicians how to connect the orbiter to the transport]]
-Based at the [[Dryden Flight Research Center]] within [[Edwards Air Force Base]] in California{{r|brack20120917}} the two aircraft were functionally identical, although N911NA has five upper-deck windows on each side, while N905NA has only two.  The rear mounting points on both aircraft were labeled with humorous instructions to "attach orbiter here" or "place orbiter here", clarified by the precautionary note "black side down".<ref>[http://edwards.airshowjournal.com/2003/ 2003 Edwards Air Force Base Air Show], see Shuttle Carrier images.</ref><ref>[http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/ASFalcon13/Shuttle%20Carrier%20Aircraft%20N911NA/ Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA album on Photobucket]</ref>
-Shuttle Carriers were capable of operating from [[Space Shuttle abort modes|alternative shuttle landing sites]] such as those in the United Kingdom, Spain, and France. Because Shuttle Carrier's range is reduced while mated to an orbiter, additional preparations such as removal of the payload from the orbiter may have been necessary to reduce its weight.<ref name="FS-2006-01-004-KSC">{{cite web |url = http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/167472main_TALsites-06.pdf |title = Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |date = December 2006 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date = July 1, 2009 }}</ref>
-[[File:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft - Silhouettes.jpg|left|thumb|Silhouettes listing the number of ferry and free flights of the various Orbiters and the [[Phantom Ray]] on the port side of the SCA]]
-[[Boeing]] transported its [[Boeing Phantom Ray|Phantom Ray]] [[unmanned combat aerial vehicle]] (UCAV) demonstrator from St. Louis, Missouri, to Edwards on a Shuttle Carrier on December 11, 2010.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2010/12/03/boeing-phantom-ray-to-catch-shuttle-ride.html Boeing Phantom Ray to catch shuttle ride at Lambert]</ref>
 ==Approach and Landing Tests==
+[[File:OV-101 first flight.jpg|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']] detaches from Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA during ALT-13]]
 {{main|Approach and Landing Tests}}
-[[File:OV-101 first flight.jpg|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']] detaches from SCA 905 during ALT-13]]
 The Approach and Landing Tests were a series of taxi and flight trials of the prototype [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']], conducted at [[Edwards Air Force Base]] in 1977. They verified the shuttle's flight characteristics when mated to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and when flying on its own, prior to the Shuttle system becoming operational. There were 3 taxi tests, 8 captive flight tests and 5 free flight tests.<ref name=ALTfinalreport />
 ==Ferry flights==
-[[File:Space Shuttle Discovery and Carrier 747 at Vandenberg Air Force Base.png|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']] and SCA 905 at Vandenberg AFB, November 6, 1983]]
 {{Further|List of Shuttle Carrier Aircraft flights}}
+[[File:Shuttle mate demate facility.jpg|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']] being mated to Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA at using the [[Mate-Demate Device]]]]
-Ferry flights generally transported the orbiters from [[Edwards Air Force Base]], the shuttle's secondary landing site, to the [[Shuttle Landing Facility]] (SLF) at the [[Kennedy Space Center]] where the orbiter was processed. This was common in the early days of the Space Shuttle program when weather conditions at the SLF prevented the shuttle from landing there.  Some flights started at the [[Dryden Flight Research Center]] following delivery of the orbiter from [[Rockwell International]] to NASA from the nearby facilities in Palmdale, California.<ref name=chron>{{cite web |title = STS Chronology |url = http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-cron.html |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration }}</ref>
+During the decades of Shuttle operations, the SCAs were most often used to transport the orbiters from [[Edwards Air Force Base]], the shuttle's secondary landing site, to the [[Shuttle Landing Facility]] (SLF) at the [[Kennedy Space Center]] where the orbiter was processed for another launch. The SCAs were also used to transport the orbiters between manufacturer [[Rockwell International]] and NASA during initial delivery and mid-life refits.<ref name="chron">{{cite web |title = STS Chronology |url = http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-cron.html |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration }}</ref>
-At the end of the Space Shuttle program the SCA was used to deliver the retired orbiters from the Kennedy Space Center to their museums. ''Discovery'' was delivered to the [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center|Udvar-Hazy Center]] of the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s [[National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Chantilly, Virginia]], near Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2012.  On April 17, 2012, ''Discovery'' was flown atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft escorted by a NASA T-38 Talon chase aircraft in a final farewell flight.  The 747 and ''Discovery'' flew over Washington, D.C. and the metropolitan area around 10&nbsp;a.m. and arrived at Dulles around 11&nbsp;a.m. The flyover and landing were widely covered on national news media.
+At the end of the Space Shuttle program the SCA was used to deliver the retired orbiters from the Kennedy Space Center to their museums.
-The last ferry flight took [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|''Endeavour'']] from Kennedy Space Center to Los Angeles between September 19 and 21, 2012 via [[Ellington Field]] and Edwards Air Force Base. After leaving Edwards the SCA with ''Endeavour'' performed low level flyovers above various landmarks across California, from [[Sacramento]] to the San Francisco Bay Area, and finally to Los Angeles. ''Endeavour'' was delivered to [[Los Angeles International Airport]] (LAX). From there the orbiter was transported through the streets of Los Angeles and [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]] to its final destination in the California Science Center in [[Exposition Park (Los Angeles)|Exposition Park]].
+''Discovery'' was flown to the [[Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center|Udvar-Hazy Center]] of the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s [[National Air and Space Museum]] at the [[Dulles International Airport]] on April 17, 2012, making low-level passes over Washington, D.C. landmarks before landing. ''Enterprise'', which had been on display at the Smithsonian was transported to the [[Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum]] in New York City on April 27, 2012, making low-level passes over the city's landmarks, before landing at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]], where it was transferred by barge to the museum.
+The last ferry flight took [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|''Endeavour'']] from Kennedy Space Center to Los Angeles between September 19 and 21, 2012 with refueling stops at [[Ellington Field]] and Edwards Air Force Base. After leaving Edwards the SCA with ''Endeavour'' performed low level flyovers above various landmarks across California, from [[Sacramento]] to the San Francisco Bay Area, before finally being delivered to [[Los Angeles International Airport]] (LAX). From there the orbiter was transported through the streets of Los Angeles and [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]] to its final destination, the [[California Science Center]] in [[Exposition Park (Los Angeles)|Exposition Park]].
 ==Retirement==
-[[File:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA on display in Palmdale, California in June 2015.jpg|thumb|left|N911NA sits on display at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale, California, in June 2015]]
+[[File:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N911NA on display in Palmdale, California in June 2015.jpg|thumb|N911NA sits on display at the [[Joe Davies Heritage Airpark]] in Palmdale, California, in June 2015]]
-Shuttle Carrier N911NA was retired on February 8, 2012, after its final mission to the Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, California, and was used as a source of parts for NASA's [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] (SOFIA) aircraft, another modified Boeing 747.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sca_911_final_flight.html NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 911's Final Flight]</ref> N911NA is now preserved and on display at the [[United States Air Force Plant 42#Museums|Joe Davies Heritage Airpark]] in Palmdale, California as part of a long-term loan to the city from NASA.<ref>{{Cite press release |url = https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/features/SCA_911.html |title = Final Journey: SCA 911 on Display at Davies Airpark |last = Gibbs |first = Yvonne |date = September 12, 2014 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date = June 15, 2018 |language = en }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html |title = NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Shuttle Carrier Aircraft |last = Gibbs |first = Yvonne |date = September 24, 2014 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date = June 15, 2018 |language = en }}</ref>
+Shuttle Carrier N911NA was retired on February 8, 2012, after its final mission to the Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, California, and was used as a source of parts for NASA's [[Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]] (SOFIA) aircraft, another modified Boeing 747.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sca_911_final_flight.html |title=NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 911's Final Flight |access-date=February 10, 2012 |archive-date=June 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622185515/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/Features/sca_911_final_flight.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> N911NA is now preserved and on display at the [[Joe Davies Heritage Airpark]] in Palmdale, California as part of a long-term loan to the city from NASA.<ref>{{Cite press release |url = https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/features/SCA_911.html |title = Final Journey: SCA 911 on Display at Davies Airpark |last = Gibbs |first = Yvonne |date = September 12, 2014 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date = June 15, 2018 |language = en |archive-date = June 10, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160610094039/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/features/SCA_911.html |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html |title = NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Shuttle Carrier Aircraft |last = Gibbs |first = Yvonne |date = September 24, 2014 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |access-date = June 15, 2018 |language = en }}</ref>
 [[File:Shuttle Independence and NASA 905 at Space Center Houston.jpg|thumb|N905NA on display with mockup [[Space Shuttle Independence|Space Shuttle ''Independence'']] at [[Space Center Houston]]]]
-Shuttle Carrier {{Anchor|N905NA}}N905NA was used to ferry the retired Space Shuttles to their respective museums. After delivering ''Endeavour'' to the Los Angeles International Airport in September 2012, the aircraft was flown to the Dryden Flight Research Facility, where NASA intended it to join N911NA as a source of spare parts for NASA's SOFIA aircraft,<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/636738main_ED12-0096-02.jpg |title =  A graphic history of 35 years of Space Shuttle ferry flights now adorns the upper forward fuselage of NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |first = Tony |last = Landis }}</ref> but when NASA engineers surveyed N905NA they determined that it had few parts usable for SOFIA. In 2013, a decision was made to preserve N905NA and display it at [[Space Center Houston]] with the mockup shuttle ''Independence'' mounted on its back.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/space-flight-news/houstons-shuttle-gets-new-name-familiar-ride/ |title = Houston's Shuttle Gets New Name, Familiar Ride |work = Spaceflight Insider |date = October 8, 2013 }}</ref> N905NA was flown to [[Ellington Field]] where it was carefully dismantled, ferried to the [[Johnson Space Center]] in seven major pieces (a process called The Big Move), reassembled, and finally mated with the replica shuttle in August 2014.<ref>{{cite news |work = SpaceDaily |url = http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Shuttle_replica_lifted_and_put_on_top_of_747_carrier_999.html |title = Shuttle replica lifted and put on top of 747 carrier |first = Brooks |last = Hays |agency = United Press International |date = August 14, 2014 }}</ref> The display, called Independence Plaza, opened to the public for the first time on January 23, 2016.
+Shuttle Carrier {{Anchor|N905NA}}N905NA was used to ferry the retired Space Shuttles to their respective museums. After delivering ''Endeavour'' to the Los Angeles International Airport in September 2012, the aircraft was flown to the Dryden Flight Research Facility, where NASA intended it to join N911NA as a source of spare parts for NASA's SOFIA aircraft,<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/636738main_ED12-0096-02.jpg |title = A graphic history of 35 years of Space Shuttle ferry flights now adorns the upper forward fuselage of NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 905 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |first = Tony |last = Landis |access-date = April 18, 2012 |archive-date = July 25, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120725053424/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/636738main_ED12-0096-02.jpg |url-status = dead }}</ref> but when NASA engineers surveyed N905NA they determined that it had few parts usable for SOFIA. In 2013, a decision was made to preserve N905NA and display it at [[Space Center Houston]] with the mockup [[Space Shuttle Independence|Space Shuttle ''Independence'']] mounted on its back.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/space-flight-news/houstons-shuttle-gets-new-name-familiar-ride/ |title = Houston's Shuttle Gets New Name, Familiar Ride |work = Spaceflight Insider |date = October 8, 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> N905NA was flown to [[Ellington Field]] where it was carefully dismantled, ferried to the [[Johnson Space Center]] in seven major pieces (a process called The Big Move), reassembled, and finally mated with the replica shuttle in August 2014.<ref>{{cite news |work = SpaceDaily |url = http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Shuttle_replica_lifted_and_put_on_top_of_747_carrier_999.html |title = Shuttle replica lifted and put on top of 747 carrier |first = Brooks |last = Hays |agency = United Press International |date = August 14, 2014 }}</ref> The display, called Independence Plaza, opened to the public for the first time on January 23, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Seeing Is Believing: Enormous Shuttle Program Artifact Inspires Wonder|first=Calla |last=Cofield |date=January 29, 2016|url=https://www.space.com/31776-independence-plaza-nasa-exhibit-awesomely-wonderful.html|publisher=Space.com|access-date=December 20, 2022}}</ref>
-{{Clear}}
 ==Specifications==
 [[File:Shuttle Carrier Aircraft diagram.svg|300px|right|SCA 3-view schematic]]
 {{Aircraft specs
-|ref=Boeing 747–100 specifications<ref>[http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/pf/pf_classics.html#100 Boeing 747–100 Technical Specifications], Boeing</ref> Jenkins 2000<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p38"/>
+|ref=Boeing 747-100 specifications<ref>[http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/pf/pf_classics.html#100 Boeing 747-100 Technical Specifications], Boeing</ref> Jenkins 2000<ref name="Jenkins_2000_p38"/>
 |prime units?=kts
 <!--
         General characteristics
 -->
-|crew= 4: pilot, co-pilot, 2 flight engineers (1 flight engineer when not carrying Shuttle)
+|crew= Four: two pilots, two flight engineers (one flight engineer when not carrying Shuttle)
+|capacity= {{cvt|108,999.6|kg|lb|0}} payload (external Shuttle Orbiter Cargo)
 |length ft=231
 |length in=4
@@ Line 184: / Line 221: @@
 ==External links==
 {{Commons category}}
-*[http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html NASA fact sheet]
+*[http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html NASA fact sheet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106024137/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html |date=January 6, 2021 }}
 *[http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/STS-Ferry/Medium/index.html NASA SCA images]
-*[http://airspeed.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=175204 Interview with SCA Pilot and Former Astronaut Gordon Fullerton]
+*[http://airspeed.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=175204 Interview with SCA Pilot and Former Astronaut Gordon Fullerton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722201757/http://airspeed.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=175204 |date=July 22, 2011 }}
-*[http://airspeed.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=170381 Interview with SCA Crew Chief Pete Seidl]
+*[http://airspeed.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=170381 Interview with SCA Crew Chief Pete Seidl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722201818/http://airspeed.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=170381 |date=July 22, 2011 }}
 *{{YouTube|NjPO8k2r-ks|"Hoot Gibson talks about John Kiker's 747 ferry model"}}
 *{{HAER |survey=TX-116-L |id=tx1165 |title=Space Transportation System, Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Harris County, TX |photos=8 |color=3 |cap=3}}

v t e Boeing 747 family
Base models	747-100 747SP 747-200 747-300 747-400 747-8
Government & military	E-4 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft SOFIA VC-25 (Air Force One) YAL-1
Notable aircraft	747 Supertanker Boeing Dreamlifter City of Canberra Jumbo Stay N661US N7470 N747PA N747GE Spirit of Mojave
Topics	Hull losses In fiction Operators
Other	747 (performance art) Jumbo: The Plane that Changed the World

v t e Space Shuttle program
Space Shuttle List of missions List of crews
Components	Orbiter Solid Rocket Booster External tank Main engine Orbital Maneuvering System Reaction control system Thermal protection system Booster separation motor
Orbiters	Enterprise Columbia Challenger Discovery Atlantis Endeavour
Add-ons	Spacelab (ESA) Canadarm (CSA) Extended Duration Orbiter Remote Controlled Orbiter Spacehab Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
Sites	Launch Complex 39 A B Space Launch Complex 6 Landing sites Shuttle Landing Facility Abort landing sites
Operations and training	Missions (canceled) Crews Mission timeline Rollbacks Abort modes Rendezvous pitch maneuver Shuttle Mission Simulator Shuttle Training Aircraft
Testing	Inspiration (design) Pathfinder (simulator) MPTA (engine test article) Approach and Landing Tests
Disasters	Challenger disaster (report) Columbia disaster (report)
Support	Crawler-transporter Mate-Demate Device Mobile Launcher Platform NASA recovery ship Orbiter Processing Facility Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL) Shuttle Carrier Aircraft flights Shuttle Training Aircraft STS-3xx
Special	Deutschland-1 Getaway Special Journalist in Space Project Teacher in Space Project Shuttle-Mir Hitchhiker
Space suits	Extravehicular Mobility Unit Shuttle Ejection Escape Suit Launch Entry Suit Advanced Crew Escape Suit
Experiments	Freestar experiments Inflatable Antenna Experiment Spartan Packet Radio Experiment Shuttle pallet satellite Wake Shield Facility
Derivatives	Saturn-Shuttle Magnum Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Jupiter Shuttle-C Shuttle-Centaur Ares I IV V Liberty Space Launch System OmegA
Replicas	Independence
Related	Space Shuttle design process studied designs Inertial Upper Stage Payload Assist Module International Space Station Criticism Retirement Conroy Virtus Hail Columbia (1982 documentary) The Dream Is Alive (1985 documentary) Challenger (1990 film) Destiny in Space (1994 documentary) Columbia: The Tragic Loss (2004 documentary) Hubble (2010 documentary) The Challenger Disaster (2013 film) Challenger: The Final Flight (2020 documentary miniseries) Space Shuttle America Rendezvous: A Space Shuttle Simulation Space Shuttle Project Shuttle Space Shuttle: A Journey into Space Space Shuttle Mission 2007 Orbiter Space Flight Simulator When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions Flightgear Space Shuttle realistic simulation

v t e Aircraft designed for the carriage of outsize cargo
In service	Beluga BelugaXL Dreamlifter (Large Cargo Freighter) Super Guppy Skymonster
Retired	An-225 Mriya Mini Guppy Pregnant Guppy Shuttle Carrier Aircraft VM-T
Unbuilt	Virtus RC-1 An-325

v t e Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101)
Flights	Approach and Landing Tests Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
Status	Retired
On display	Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, New York City