Space Shuttle orbiter
A Space Shuttle orbiter was a reusable winged spacecraft that carried crews and cargo between Earth and low orbit.
Also known as: Space Shuttle, shuttle orbiter
How big is it?
37.24 m long
Overall orbiter length · specified
A little perspective
About the same scale as Skylab.
Skylab: Skylab was the first American space station, used for scientific experiments and crewed missions in Earth orbit during the 1970s.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Space Shuttle orbiter
A NASA Space Shuttle orbiter measured 37.24 m long, with a 23.79 m wingspan and 17.25 m overall height. External tank and boosters are not included.
NASA Technical Reports Server — Space Shuttle transportation system
The marked overall orbiter length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Skylab
Skylab was approximately 36.1 m long in orbit and had a launch mass of 77,088 kg. Deployed solar arrays extend across its width but do not define the measured longitudinal span.
The marked overall orbital length is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
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Why this measurement?
Why we use 37.24 m
For comparison, this page uses overall orbiter length. The record labels this value specified, so the stated convention rather than an inferred average controls the comparison.
A NASA Space Shuttle orbiter measured 37.24 m long, with a 23.79 m wingspan and 17.25 m overall height. External tank and boosters are not included.
The marked vertical span follows the named feature; transparent margins and unmeasured details do not alter it. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
Space Shuttle orbiter dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37.24 m | Not recorded | specified | |
| 23.79 m | Not recorded | specified | |
| 17.25 m | Not recorded | specified |
Around this scale
Go smaller. Go bigger.
These links use compatible length records, ordered around the selected value.
Nearest lower value · SpaceSkylab36.1 mSkylab was the first American space station, used for scientific experiments and crewed missions in Earth orbit during the 1970s.
Around the same scale · Places50 × 40 m playground40 mA playground is an outdoor space intended for children's recreation and play activities.
Nearest higher value · Living thingsSiphonophore colony40 mA siphonophore is a floating colony of specialised animals called zooids that function together as one organism-like body.Sources and method
Want to check the number?
The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.
- NASA Technical Reports Server — Space Shuttle transportation systemOrbiter and integrated Space Shuttle configuration, dimensions and propulsion data.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
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SportDoubles tennis court23.77 mA doubles tennis court is the marked playing surface used for tennis with the outer doubles sidelines included.
PlacesNiagara Falls51 mNiagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls on the Niagara River between Canada and the United States.
Built worldLeaning Tower of Pisa56 mThe Leaning Tower of Pisa is a medieval freestanding bell tower in Pisa, Italy, famous for its unintended tilt.