---
title: "Airbus A380 vs Space Shuttle — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Airbus A380 is 7.4× Space Shuttle on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/airbus-a380-vs-space-shuttle/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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

- [Airbus A380 vs Boeing 747](https://atoneplace.net/vs/airbus-a380-vs-boeing-747/)
- [Boeing 737 vs Space Shuttle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-737-vs-space-shuttle/)
- [Space Shuttle vs train carriage](https://atoneplace.net/vs/space-shuttle-vs-train-carriage/)
- [Airbus A380 vs International Space Station](https://atoneplace.net/vs/airbus-a380-vs-international-space-station/)
- [International Space Station vs Space Shuttle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/international-space-station-vs-space-shuttle/)
- [Airbus A380 vs Falcon 9](https://atoneplace.net/vs/airbus-a380-vs-falcon-9/)
- [Boeing 747 vs Space Shuttle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-747-vs-space-shuttle/)
- [Airbus A380 vs Boeing 737](https://atoneplace.net/vs/airbus-a380-vs-boeing-737/)
- [Saturn V vs Space Shuttle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/saturn-v-vs-space-shuttle/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]
- NASA — National Aeronautics and Space Administration (https://www.nasa.gov/) [Public domain (US Government)]