List of Shuttle Carrier Aircraft flights

Shuttle Carrier Aircraft ferry flights generally originate at the Edwards Air Force Base in California or on rare occasions White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico following missions which land there, especially in the early days of the Space Shuttle program or when weather at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at the Kennedy Space Center prevents ending missions there. Flights generally end at the SLF. A number of flights have begun at the Dryden Flight Research Center following delivery of the orbiter from Rockwell International to NASA from the nearby facilities in Palmdale, California.^[1]^[2]

Ferry Flights

Main article: Shuttle Carrier Aircraft

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November 15, 1977 Enterprise, ferry flight test started and ended at the Dryden Flight Research Center, lasted 3 hours, 21 minutes
November 16, 1977 Enterprise, ferry flight test started and ended at the Dryden Flight Research Center, lasted 4 hours, 17 minutes
November 17, 1977 Enterprise, ferry flight test started and ended at the Dryden Flight Research Center, lasted 4 hours, 13 minutes
November 18, 1977 Enterprise, ferry flight test started and ended at the Dryden Flight Research Center, lasted 3 hours, 37 minutes
December 9, 1977 Enterprise, approach and landing flight tests Dryden Flight Research Center, lasted 3 hours, 37 minutes
March 10–13, 1978 Enterprise, ferry flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center to Marshall Space Flight Center (via Ellington Air Force Base) for vertical ground vibration tests at MSFC.
March 20–24, 1979 Columbia, ferry flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center to Kennedy Space Center (via Biggs Army Air Base El Paso, Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio, Eglin Air Force Base Florida)
April 10, 1979 Enterprise, ferry flight from the Marshall Space Flight Center to the Kennedy Space Center following vertical ground vibration tests at MSFC.
Aug 10-16 1979 Enterprise transported from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Dryden Flight Research Center in California (via Atlanta, St. Louis, Tulsa, Denver, Hill Air Force Base Utah, Vandenberg Air Force Base) following static tests at KSC
April 20–21, 1981 Columbia, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Tinker Air Force Base Oklahoma) following landing of STS-1
November 24–25, 1981 Columbia, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Tinker Air Force Base Oklahoma) following landing of STS-2
April 6, 1982 Columbia, ferry flight from the White Sands Missile Range to Kennedy Space Center (via Barksdale Air Force Base Louisiana) following landing of STS-3
July 4–5, 1982 Challenger, ferry flight from the Dryden Flight Research Center to Kennedy Space Center (via Ellington Air Force Base Houston Texas) <http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/>
July 14–15, 1982 Columbia, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Dyess Air Force Base Abilene Texas) following landing of STS-4
July 4–5, 1982 Columbia, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio Texas) following STS-5
April 14–16, 1983 Challenger, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio Texas) following STS-6
June 28–29, 1983 Challenger, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio Texas) following STS-7
September 9, 1983 Challenger, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Sheppard Air Force Base Wichita FallsTexas) following STS-8
November 6–9, 1983 Challenger, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Vandenberg Air Force Base California, Carswell Air Force Base)
December 14–15, 1983 Columbia, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Biggs Army Air Base El Paso, Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio, Eglin Air Force Base Florida) following STS-9
January 26–27, 1984 Columbia, ferry flight from the Kennedy Space Center to Edwards Air Force Base (via Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio, Eglin Air Force Base Florida) for STS-17 modifications at Palmdale.
March 22–29, 1984 Enterprise, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Brookley Air Force Base (via Vandenberg Air Force Base) for overland and barge transport to the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.
April 17–18, 1984 Challenger, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center (via Kelly Air Force Base San Antonio) following STS-41-C
September 9–10, 1984 Discovery, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to Kennedy Space Center, via Altus Air Force Base Oklahoma
November 10–13, 1984 Enterprise, ferry flight from the Brookley Air Force Base to Edwards Air Force Base to (via Kansas City) following the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.
November 10–13, 1984 Enterprise, ferry flight from the Edwards Air Force Base to the Vandenberg Air Force Base

Other transportation methods

Overland

Space shuttle orbiters were constructed in Palmdale, California and transported overland to the Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), a distance of 36 miles. The shuttle carrier aircraft was not used for this initial leg of the journey but was used to transport the orbiters for launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Additionally the orbiters are routinely transported from the Shuttle Landing Facility to the Orbiter Processing Facility after landing at the Kennedy Space Center either after missions or after removal from the SCA.^[1]

Enterprise January 31, 1977 (Palmdale to DFRC) for ferry flight to KSC
Columbia March 8, 1979 (Palmdale to DFRC) for ferry flight to KSC
Enterprise October 30, 1979 (DFRC to Palmdale) for ferry flight to KSC
Challenger July 1, 1982 (Palmdale to DFRC) for ferry flight to KSC
Discovery November 5, 1983 (Palmdale to DFRC) for ferry flight to KSC
Columbia January 30, 1984 (DFRC to Palmdale) for STS-17 modifications
Enterprise April 2, 1984 (Brookley Air Force Base, Mobile Alabama to U.S. Coast Guard Station, Mobile Alabama), for transfer to a barge for transport to New Orleans for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
Atlantis April 9, 1985 (Palmdale to DFRC) for ferry flight to KSC
Columbia July 11, 1985 (Palmdale to DFRC) for ferry flight to KSC, following modifications

Barge

^[1]

Enterprise April 3–5, 1984 (U.S. Coast Guard Station, Mobile Alabama to New Orleans), for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
Enterprise November 3–5, 1984 (New Orleans to U.S. Coast Guard Station, Mobile Alabama), following the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition

References

1 2 3 "STS Chronology". NASA.
↑ Mark, Hans (1987). The space station : a personal journey. Durham: Duke University Press. p. 156. ISBN 0822307278.

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