---
title: "Boeing 747 vs Space Shuttle — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Boeing 747 is 5.1× Space Shuttle on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-747-vs-space-shuttle/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Boeing 747 vs Space Shuttle

**Boeing 747 vs Space Shuttle: Boeing 747 is larger on weight**

Boeing 747 is 5.1× Space Shuttle on weight.

A Boeing 747 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 747 | Space Shuttle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 178.8–412.8 t | 78–2,030 t |
| Height | 19.4 m | 17.25 m |
| Length | 70.7 m | 37.24 m |
| Width | 64.4 m | 23.79 m |
| Typical cost | 260,000,000 $ | 1,600,000,000 $ |

## What the numbers say

- Boeing 747 is 5.1× Space Shuttle on weight.
- Boeing 747 is somewhat greater than Space Shuttle on height — about 1.1×.
- Boeing 747 is 1.9× Space Shuttle on length.
- Boeing 747 is 2.7× Space Shuttle on width.
- Space Shuttle is 6.2× Boeing 747 on typical cost.

*Weight compared.*

- Boeing 747: 178.8–412.8 t
- Space Shuttle: 78–2,030 t

## Boeing 747

The first wide-body airliner, in production from 1968 to 2023; figures here are for the 747-400.

## 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 747 or Space Shuttle?

Boeing 747 is 5.1× Space Shuttle on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do Boeing 747s and Space Shuttles compare on height?

Boeing 747: 19.4 m. Space Shuttle: 17.25 m. Boeing 747 is somewhat greater than Space Shuttle on height — about 1.1×.

### How do Boeing 747s and Space Shuttles compare on length?

Boeing 747: 70.7 m. Space Shuttle: 37.24 m. Boeing 747 is 1.9× 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/)
- [Boeing 747 vs International Space Station](https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-747-vs-international-space-station/)
- [International Space Station vs Space Shuttle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/international-space-station-vs-space-shuttle/)
- [Boeing 737 vs Boeing 747](https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-737-vs-boeing-747/)
- [Boeing 747 vs Falcon 9](https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-747-vs-falcon-9/)
- [Airbus A380 vs Space Shuttle](https://atoneplace.net/vs/airbus-a380-vs-space-shuttle/)
- [Boeing 747 vs train carriage](https://atoneplace.net/vs/boeing-747-vs-train-carriage/)
- [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)]