MANSFIELD, Ohio – NASA’s Super Guppy will make its first appearance in Mansfield on Tuesday, Nov. 3 and the public will get the chance to view the giant cargo plane up-close. The plane is scheduled to land at Lahm Airport sometime between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
In August, Mayor Tim Theaker announced the large, guppy-shaped plane would be landing in Mansfield to drop off equipment and tools used in conjunction with the Mars-bound Orion spacecraft. Mansfield Lahm Airport will serve as a hub for transporting the Orion spacecraft and other equipment to NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky through 2021.
On Thursday, Theaker said the public will be able to watch the giant cargo plane arrive from Florida, land at Lahm, offload its equipment and take off again. The mayor said the plane will be parked in front of the Subway restaurant, giving onlookers a good view of the unique plane.
“They will open up the nose and take all of the equipment out, then it will be loaded onto trucks to start hauling it up to Sandusky,” Theaker said.
Spectators hoping for a close-up view of the Super Guppy are asked to enter the viewing area through the Airport Terminal Building. City Engineer Bob Bianchi said NASA will set up a secure perimeter approximately 50 feet from the plane.
Theaker said it may take up to two hours for crew to unload the tools and equipment from the Super Guppy onto trucks for transport to Sandusky.
The Orion spacecraft is designed to transport up to four astronauts to locations in space further than manned flights have traveled before, including Mars. According to NASA, the craft underwent its first unmanned test flight in December 2014, landing successfully at its target.
During the six-year period, NASA workers will transport parts for Orion, which is scheduled for unmanned flights in 2017 and 2021, from Kennedy Space Center to Mansfield.
Theaker said the Super Guppy will be landing at Lahm several times over the next six months bringing parts and equipment for the Orion spacecraft.
