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Space Shuttle Tire Basic Facts and Figures
 Surprisingly, a space shuttle tire is not much larger than a truck tire, but a main landing gear tire can carry three times the load of a Boeing 747 tire or the entire starting line-up of a NASCAR race—40 race cars—all hitting the pavement at up to 250 miles per hour.
Interesting Facts
- Number of tires on the space shuttle:
4 main landing gear tires 44.5x16.0-21, 34 ply, 263 mph
2 nose landing gear tires 32x8.8, 20 ply, 250 mph
- The space shuttle tires are filled with nitrogen (as are most
aircraft tires) due to the shuttle's stability at different altitudes
and temperatures. Due to extremely heavy loads, these bias ply tires are
inflated to 340 psi (main gear) and 300 psi (nose gear).
- Shuttle tires go from in excess of -40 degrees Fahrenheit in space
to +130 degrees Fahrenheit on landing in a matter of minutes.
- The main landing gear shuttle tires are only used one time and the
nose landing gear are typically used for two landings.
- Weight: Since weight is of extreme importance, the tires are made
with a minimum amount of tread to conserve weight, allowing for larger
payloads. A few pounds may not seem to make much difference, but when
you add up all of the ways to decrease weight throughout the shuttle it
can have a significant impact.
| Size/Dimension |
44.5x16.0-21 MLG |
| Outside Diameter |
44.9 inches |
| Section Width |
16 inches |
| Wheel Rim Diameter |
21 inches |
| Approx. Weight |
205 pounds |
| Max. Inflation Pressure |
340 PSI |
| Max. Operating Load |
142,000 pounds |
| Max. Speed |
259 mph |
| Load per lb. of Tire |
695 pounds |
+ NASA Educational Links and Products Related to Space Shuttle Tires (coming soon)
+ Roll on Big Wheels Space Shuttle Tires Grades K-4 Lessons (coming soon)
+ Shuttle Tires Grades 5-12 Lessons (coming soon)
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