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Airbus A380 vs Space Shuttle

Airbus A380 vs Space Shuttle
Airbus A380 is larger on weight
Airbus A380 is 7.4× Space Shuttle on weight.

An Airbus A380 and a Space Shuttle can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

Side by side

Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.
Airbus A380 Space Shuttle
Weight 277–575 t 78–2,030 t
Height 24.1 m 17.25 m
Length 72.7 m 37.24 m
Width 79.75 m 23.79 m
Typical cost 445,600,000 $ 1,600,000,000 $

What the numbers say

  • Airbus A380 is 7.4× Space Shuttle on weight.
  • Airbus A380 is somewhat greater than Space Shuttle on height — about 1.4×.
  • Airbus A380 is 2× Space Shuttle on length.
  • Airbus A380 is 3.4× Space Shuttle on width.
  • Space Shuttle is 3.6× Airbus A380 on typical cost.

Weight compared.

Airbus A380 277–575 t
Space Shuttle 78–2,030 t

Airbus A380

The largest passenger airliner ever built, with two full-length decks.

Space Shuttle

The reusable NASA orbiter flown on 135 missions between 1981 and 2011.

This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

Common questions

Which is bigger, Airbus A380 or Space Shuttle?
Airbus A380 is 7.4× Space Shuttle on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do Airbus A380s and Space Shuttles compare on height?
Airbus A380: 24.1 m. Space Shuttle: 17.25 m. Airbus A380 is somewhat greater than Space Shuttle on height — about 1.4×.
How do Airbus A380s and Space Shuttles compare on length?
Airbus A380: 72.7 m. Space Shuttle: 37.24 m. Airbus A380 is 2× Space Shuttle on length.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
  2. NASA — National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Public domain (US Government))

How these figures are compiled and checked