N905NA: NASA's Original Shuttle Carrier
NASA 905 started as an American Airlines 747 before becoming the first Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Its upper-fuselage supports, strengthened structure and extra tail fins made it capable of carrying an orbiter between distant sites.
NASA 905 started as an American Airlines 747 before becoming the first Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Its upper-fuselage supports, strengthened structure and extra tail fins made it capable of carrying an orbiter between distant sites.
Aircraft identity
- Registration: N905NA
- Variant: Boeing 747-123
- Serial number: 20107
- Former registrations: N9668
- Operator history: American Airlines 1970 - 1974; NASA 1974 - 2012
- Record status: Preserved
Aircraft history
| Date or period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 15 October 1970 | First flight, followed by American Airlines delivery on 29 October. Source |
| July 1974 | Purchased by NASA from American Airlines. Source |
| 1976 | Converted by Boeing into a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Source |
| 1977 | Carried Enterprise for the Approach and Landing Tests. Source |
| 2012 | Delivered retired orbiters to their museum destinations and ended its shuttle-carrying career. Source |
| Museum display | Preserved at Space Center Houston with the replica orbiter Independence. Source |
What makes this aircraft important
Independence is a replica displayed on a real Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. This combination explains how orbiters travelled on Earth after landing; it was not a system for launching a shuttle into orbit.
Status and access
The official collection or venue record lists this aircraft at Space Center Houston. Interior access, tours and opening arrangements can change. Check the venue information before visiting.
Sources checked: 3 October 2026. Dates are as specific as the confirming source; an undated milestone is labelled as a period rather than given an invented day.
Related
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Variant | 747-123 |
| First flight | 15 October 1970 |
| Status | Preserved |
| Engines | 4× Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J (as Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) |
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the primary and institutional references below.
- NASA 905 fiftieth anniversary history - Space Center Houston
- Shuttle Carrier Aircraft fact sheet - NASA
- Shuttle Carrier Aircraft historical engineering record - NASA
- Preserved 747 airframes, serial numbers and former registrations - South African Airways Museum Society
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