September 30, 2015
NASA’s Super Guppy touched down at Stennis International Airport on Sept. 10 to offload the Orion EM-1 Crew Module Barrel for transporting by truck to the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Michoud employees will use the crew barrel to further develop the crew module for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). SLS will carry the Orion Crew Vehicle along with cargo, equipment and science experiments into deep space. The Orion spacecraft will carry up to four astronauts on long-duration, deep space missions. Stennis Space Center is testing the RS-25 engines for use on the SLS.
NASA said the Guppy is expected to return to Stennis Airport for the delivery of more Orion components.
The unique aircraft has a hinged nose that opens 110 degrees to allow cargo loading from the front. It has been used to transport oversized cargo including multiple aircraft, Saturn rockets and International Space Station modules.
The Super Guppy is 144 feet long and has a wingspan of 156 feet. The cargo area is 25 feet in diameter and 111 feet long. Its cruise speed at 25,000 feet is 290 miles per hour. It is based at Johnson Space Center in Texas.
About Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission
As the county economic development authority, the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission is committed to fostering business investment and job creation. Their focus lies in attracting manufacturing, defense, aviation, and aerospace-related projects to the county. The organization manages the Stennis International Airport and Port Bienville Industrial Park while also providing support to the Stennis Space Center, NASA’s leading facility for rocket engine testing.