It's a Fish, It's a Plane, It's ... 'Super Guppy'

"Super Guppy" arrived in Massachusetts last week, delivering a heat shield destined to protect future NASA spacecraft.

The big-bellied plane touched down at Hanscom Air Force Base, according to WCVB-TV. 

The heat shield will be used on the NASA Orion spacecraft and was flown into Hanscom in order to be transported to Textron Systems in Wilmington where a protective coating will be applied in order to shield astronauts during re-entry, WCVB reported. 

Swampscott Selectman Rich Malagrifa, an Air Force veteran and Delta pilot, said these enormous cargo planes have long been used by the space program to ferry large objects.

Wikipedia says Guppy's cargo compartment is 25 feet tall, 25 feet wide and 111 feet long and can haul more than 26 tons. Its hinged nose can open more than 200 degrees, allowing for front loading and unloading. 

They are also used to transfer parts of other planes. 

Rich Malagrifa recently he saw one in Miami that is used to haul 787 fuselages.