Enterprise makes final journey with Bay Crane

Heavy lift and transport provider Bay Crane in the USA helped the Space Shuttle Enterprise complete its final journey from JFK International Airport to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.

For the start of the project Enterprise was delivered to JFK International Airport on the back of a Boeing 747 aircraft carrier. Once on site, the shuttle was loaded onto Goldhofer THP/SL heavy duty modular trailer systems using a specially developed lift frame. Once loading was complete, the shuttle was transported on the Goldhofer axle lines by road to the Hudson River to the museum.

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is on a retired aircraft carrier USS Intrepid.

Kenny Bernardo, Bay Crane vice president operations, said, “In the last thirty years, space shuttles have frequently been loaded with the help of cranes. We were the first to handle the loading and offloading with just a single crane. That’s something we are very proud of.”

The Enterprise has a deadweight of 70 US tons (63 tonnes) and is 37.24 metres long with a wingspan of 24 m.

In total 24 THP/SL axle lines and a 230 ton (208 tonne) low profile deck were used to move the retired shuttle from the airport to the river, a company spokesperson said.

Stefan Fuchs, Goldhofer Aktiengesellschaft CEO, said, “For us, the Space Shuttle assignment is the crowning moment in our successful history. Our THP/SL heavy duty modules have taken the industry by storm and are rightly seen as the world’s most reliable heavy duty axles. The fact that our customers consistently go for the Goldhofer standard of quality for such prestigious projects is the best reference we could have.”