Space Shuttle orbiter vs Whale shark
Space Shuttle orbiter (37.2 m) is 1.98× the size of whale shark (18.8 m).
Whale shark is 50% of the height of Space Shuttle orbiter. The gap between them is 18.4 m (60.5 ft).
The comparison in numbers
| Thing | Size | In feet | Measured as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space Shuttle orbiter | 37.2 m | 122 ft | length |
| Whale shark | 18.8 m | 61.7 ft | length |
What the scale shows
Space Shuttle orbiter (37.2 m) is 1.98× the size of whale shark (18.8 m). The gap between them is 18.4 m (60.5 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 50% 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 whale shark is its length (the largest confirmed individual).
Crossing them
Walking pace is 1.4 m/s, so crossing Space Shuttle orbiter's 37.2 m takes 27 seconds and whale shark's 18.8 m takes 13 seconds.
In people: Space Shuttle orbiter is 22 adults of 1.7 m tall, whale shark is 11.1. By size Space Shuttle orbiter is 13th of the 14 vehicles & ships on this site, while whale shark is 2nd 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 whale shark is given as a length, the largest confirmed individual. 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 whale shark is number 64. 2 other items fall between them in size, among them Christ the Redeemer (30 m), blue whale (29.9 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 1.98× 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 3.92× the surface or footprint of the whale shark, and about 7.77× 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 whale shark is drawn 50% as tall as the Space Shuttle orbiter, but the equivalent share of footprint would be only 25.5%, 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 whale shark in 1.9 seconds. Sound, at about 343 m/s in air, takes 109 milliseconds for the larger and 55 milliseconds for the smaller. A jet cruising at 900 km/h needs 149 milliseconds and 75 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 1.98× 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 whale shark measures 18.8 m, which is 61.7 ft.
The difference between them is 18.4 m (60.5 ft). In metres the smaller one is 18.8 against 37.24, so the 1.98× 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 whale shark?
The Space Shuttle orbiter is bigger. At 37.2 m it is 1.98× the size of the whale shark, which is 18.8 m.
How many times does the whale shark fit along the Space Shuttle orbiter?
Less than twice: the whale shark is 50% of the size of the Space Shuttle orbiter, so one fits with 18.4 m to spare.
Are the two figures measured the same way?
Yes in kind: both are length figures. The Space Shuttle orbiter is overall length; the whale shark is the largest confirmed individual.
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 whale shark is about 11.1. The gap of 18.4 m is 11 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.