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  Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) historical photos

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Author Topic:   Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) historical photos
LM-12
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Posts: 3208
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010

posted 08-11-2014 12:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The NASA website has this series of "SCA Historical Photos" taken at Kennedy Space Center in 2012.

The Armstrong Flight Research Center has this great shot of both 747 aircraft (NASA 911 and NASA 905) in flight above Edwards Air Force Base in 2011.

For the first time ever, NASA's two highly modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft briefly flew in formation over the Edwards Air Force Base test range on Aug. 2, 2011. Both aircraft were scheduled to be in the air on the same day, NASA 911 (foreground) on a flight crew proficiency flight, NASA 905 (rear) on a functional check flight following maintenance operations. The aircraft flew in formation for about 20 minutes while NASA photographer Carla Thomas captured still and video imagery of the formation flight from a NASA Dryden F/A-18.

cspg
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006

posted 08-11-2014 01:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A great shot, indeed.

Ronpur
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Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012

posted 08-11-2014 07:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ronpur   Click Here to Email Ronpur     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It is indeed a cool shot. If one or both had a shuttle on their backs, it would have been even more spectacular. LOL

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
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posted 08-11-2014 08:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The photo was taken a few weeks after STS-135 landed.

When was the last ferry flight for an orbiter that was still to fly a mission?

Robert Pearlman
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From: Houston, TX
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posted 08-11-2014 09:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The last mission to land at Edwards Air Force Base was STS-128. Discovery was ferried back to Kennedy Space Center by NASA 911 on Sept. 20-21, 2009 to fly twice again before the end of the program.

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
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posted 08-12-2014 08:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Notice that the red chevron and the orbiting spacecraft are reversed in the NASA logo on right side of the 747 tail.

cspg
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
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posted 08-12-2014 10:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Make a photo souvenir book out of those photos.

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
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posted 08-12-2014 10:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This photo of the formation flight shows the left side. I suppose that 911 is still in the NASA fleet.

Robert Pearlman
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From: Houston, TX
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posted 08-12-2014 11:03 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA 911 was retired in February 2012. It is now permanently grounded in Palmdale, Calif., where it is a parts donor for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOPHIA).

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
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posted 08-12-2014 12:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So, it was the newer SCA (911) that was retired first, and it was NASA 905 that ferried both Discovery to Washington, and then Endeavour to Los Angeles later on in 2012.

I think I got that right.

Robert Pearlman
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From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-12-2014 01:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, NASA 905 flew all three museum deliveries (Enterprise included).

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010

posted 08-12-2014 07:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Flight Research Center movie collection includes the 747 formation flight.

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
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posted 08-13-2014 10:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The NASA website mentions that one Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is a 747-100, and the other is a 747-100SR (short range). They look almost identical. Which is which?

LM-12
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From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010

posted 08-15-2014 11:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here is a video clip of that STS-128 ferry flight.

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