Space Shuttle orbiter vs Humpback whale
Space Shuttle orbiter (37.2 m) is 2.33× the size of humpback whale (16 m).
2 humpback whales stacked on end would reach the height of Space Shuttle orbiter. The gap between them is 21.2 m (69.7 ft).
The comparison in numbers
| Thing | Size | In feet | Measured as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space Shuttle orbiter | 37.2 m | 122 ft | length |
| Humpback whale | 16 m | 52.5 ft | length |
What the scale shows
Space Shuttle orbiter (37.2 m) is 2.33× the size of humpback whale (16 m). The gap between them is 21.2 m (69.7 ft). One is among the vehicles & ships and the other among the animals, so the figures are standing in for different kinds of size — read the basis below.
Draw both on one baseline and the smaller one fills 43% of the frame while the larger one runs to the top. The two are close enough that the difference is easy to see side by side.
Read the rest — 8 more sections
What each figure means
The figure for Space Shuttle orbiter is its length (overall length). The figure for humpback whale is its length (a typical adult (14–17 m)).
Crossing them
Walking pace is 1.4 m/s, so crossing Space Shuttle orbiter's 37.2 m takes 27 seconds and humpback whale's 16 m takes 11 seconds.
In people: Space Shuttle orbiter is 22 adults of 1.7 m tall, humpback whale is 9.41. By size Space Shuttle orbiter is 13th of the 14 vehicles & ships on this site, while humpback whale is 3rd of the 23 animals.
How to read these two figures
Before trusting any comparison, check what each number measures. The Space Shuttle orbiter is given as a length, overall length. The humpback whale is given as a length, a typical adult (14–17 m). Both are length figures, so putting them on one baseline is a like-for-like comparison, although the exact individual or convention still matters.
Vehicles are listed by overall length. Rockets are the exception and are given as full stack height standing on the pad. Everything is drawn standing upright so one scale holds. Animal sizes vary from one individual to the next, so each figure says which individual or average it describes. Heights are taken at the shoulder or standing; lengths run nose to tail tip unless stated.
Where the pair sits among all the sizes here
Across all 86 things on this site, the Space Shuttle orbiter is number 61 from the top and the humpback whale is number 65. 3 other items fall between them in size, among them Christ the Redeemer (30 m), blue whale (29.9 m), whale shark (18.8 m).
Because the collection spans 13 mm up to 1,392,700 km, a ratio of 107,130,769,231× from smallest to largest, the position of a pair says a lot: both sit in the lower third of the list.
What the length ratio hides
A length ratio of 2.33× is easy to picture, but area and volume grow faster than length. If two objects had exactly the same shape, the Space Shuttle orbiter would have about 5.42× the surface or footprint of the humpback whale, and about 12.6× the volume. These two are not the same shape, so treat the figures as an upper bound for an imaginary scaled copy, not as a measurement of either one.
The drawing above shows length only. The humpback whale is drawn 43% as tall as the Space Shuttle orbiter, but the equivalent share of footprint would be only 18.5%, which is why the smaller one looks even slighter than the numbers alone suggest.
Time to cross each one
A sprinter holding about 10 m/s covers the Space Shuttle orbiter in 3.7 seconds and the humpback whale in 1.6 seconds. Sound, at about 343 m/s in air, takes 109 milliseconds for the larger and 47 milliseconds for the smaller. A jet cruising at 900 km/h needs 149 milliseconds and 64 milliseconds.
These times assume a straight line and constant speed, which no real crossing has, but they turn a number in metres into something the body understands. At any fixed speed the travel times keep the same 2.33× ratio as the sizes.
The same figures in other units
The Space Shuttle orbiter measures 37.2 m, which is 122 ft or 40.7 yards. The humpback whale measures 16 m, which is 52.5 ft.
The difference between them is 21.2 m (69.7 ft). In metres the smaller one is 16 against 37.24, so the 2.33× ratio holds in every unit; only the numbers on the ruler change.
Questions people ask about this pair
Which is bigger, the Space Shuttle orbiter or the humpback whale?
The Space Shuttle orbiter is bigger. At 37.2 m it is 2.33× the size of the humpback whale, which is 16 m.
How many times does the humpback whale fit along the Space Shuttle orbiter?
2 whole times, with 5.24 m left over, using 16 m for each.
Are the two figures measured the same way?
Yes in kind: both are length figures. The Space Shuttle orbiter is overall length; the humpback whale is a typical adult (14–17 m).
How does the gap look in people?
Taking an adult of 1.7 m, the Space Shuttle orbiter is about 22 people tall and the humpback whale is about 9.41. The gap of 21.2 m is 12 people.
Where do the numbers come from?
Each item has its own page that names the measurement and links to the Wikipedia article it was taken from. Some figures are rounded, and animals vary from one individual to the next, so treat them as representative values rather than records for every case.
How the sizes are taken. Each figure says what it measures — height, length, diameter or elevation — and for which individual or convention. Everything is drawn standing upright on one baseline so a single scale holds, including things that are long rather than tall. Values come from the linked Wikipedia article for each item.