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Boeing 737 vs Space Shuttle

Boeing 737 vs Space Shuttle
Near enough equal on weight
Boeing 737 and Space Shuttle are near enough identical on weight.

A Boeing 737 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.
Boeing 737 Space Shuttle
Weight 41.41–79.01 t 78–2,030 t
Height 12.5 m 17.25 m
Length 39.5 m 37.24 m
Width 35.8 m 23.79 m
Typical cost 106,000,000 $ 1,600,000,000 $

What the numbers say

  • Boeing 737 and Space Shuttle are near enough identical on weight.
  • Space Shuttle is somewhat greater than Boeing 737 on height — about 1.4×.
  • Boeing 737 and Space Shuttle are near enough identical on length.
  • Boeing 737 is 1.5× Space Shuttle on width.
  • Space Shuttle is 15× Boeing 737 on typical cost.

Weight compared.

Boeing 737 41.41–79.01 t
Space Shuttle 78–2,030 t

Boeing 737

The best-selling jet airliner in history; figures here are for the 737-800.

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, Boeing 737 or Space Shuttle?
Boeing 737 and Space Shuttle are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.
How do Boeing 737s and Space Shuttles compare on height?
Boeing 737: 12.5 m. Space Shuttle: 17.25 m. Space Shuttle is somewhat greater than Boeing 737 on height — about 1.4×.
How do Boeing 737s and Space Shuttles compare on length?
Boeing 737: 39.5 m. Space Shuttle: 37.24 m. Boeing 737 and Space Shuttle are near enough identical 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