Replica lifted 150 feet in the air at NASA Space Center in Houston

Mammoet lifted a replica of space shuttle Independence onto the original Shuttle Carrier Aircraft at NASA Space Center in Houston. Thousands of visitors to the center watched as Mammoet’s 250-foot-tall crane lifted the 122-foot-long space shuttle into the air undefined reaching a height of 150 feet, equivalent to a three-story building, Mammoet said in a statement.

“The lift was challenging because of the awkward weight distribution of the replica and the safety concerns for the thousands of spectators,” Pierre Mille, Mammoet USA’s sales manager, said. “A space shuttle, even a replica, is designed to go straight, so it catches a lot of wind when lifted sideways.” The lift to the crown of the 63-foot the aircraft, a Boeing 747, took about 40 minutes. Mammoet carefully lowered the replica onto a 15-inch concrete foundation.

The crane was assembled at the site a week in advance. It took a day-and-a-half to assemble the crane and the same amount of time to disassemble it after the lift was completed.

*NEWS SOURCE