The Space Shuttle Discovery rides atop "905," NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, on its delivery flight from California to the Kennedy Space Center, FL.
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The Space Shuttle Discovery rides atop “905,” NASA’s 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, on its delivery flight from California to the Kennedy Space Center, FL, where it was prepared for its first orbital mission for 30 August to 5 September 1984. The NASA 747, obtained in 1974, has special support struts atop the fuselage and internal strengthening to accommodate the additional weight of the orbiters. Small vertical fins have also been added to the tips of the horizontal stabilizers for additional stability due to air turbulence on the control surfaces caused by the orbiters.1983
NASA / Photo