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List of Space Shuttle landing sites

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Three locations in the United States were used as landing sites for the Space Shuttle system. Each site included runways of sufficient length for the slowing-down of a returning spacecraft. The prime landing site was the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a purpose-built landing strip. Landings also occurred at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and one took place at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. No Space Shuttle landed on a dry lakebed runway after 1991.

Various international landing sites were also available in the event of a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) scenario, as well as other sites in the United States and Canada in case of an East Coast Abort Landing (ECAL) situation.[1] Space Shuttle landings were intended to regularly take place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for Department of Defense missions launched from the site, but none occurred due to the cancellation of all launches from Vandenberg.

Kennedy Space Center

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Main article: Shuttle Landing Facility
 
Discovery lands at Kennedy Space Center for the last time, March 2011

The Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has a single 15,000-foot (4,600 m) concrete runway, 15/33.[2] It is designated Runway 15 or 33, depending on the direction of use. The first landing at the SLF was for mission STS-41B in 1984; landings were suspended at the site following brake damage and a blown tire during the STS-51D landing in 1985,[3] and resumed in 1990. Thirty-six missions landed on Runway 15 and forty-two missions landed on Runway 33, accumulating a total of 78 missions.[4]

Runway Surface material Missions landed[5]
Runway 15 Concrete 36 missions: STS-41-B, STS-51-A, STS-51-C, STS-43, STS-51, STS-60, STS-63, STS-71, STS-72, STS-79, STS-82, STS-86, STS-89, STS-91, STS-88, STS-96, STS-101, STS-106, STS-97, STS-102, STS-104, STS-105, STS-108, STS-121, STS-116, STS-118, STS-122, STS-123, STS-124, STS-119, STS-127, STS-130,STS-133, STS-134 and STS-135
Runway 33 Concrete 42 missions: STS-41-G, STS-51-D, STS-38, STS-45, STS-50, STS-46, STS-47, STS-52, STS-54, STS-56, STS-57, STS-61, STS-60, STS-62, STS-65, STS-70, STS-69, STS-73, STS-74, STS-75, STS-77, STS-78, STS-80, STS-81, STS-83, STS-84, STS-94, STS-85, STS-87, STS-90, STS-95, STS-93, STS-103, STS-99, STS-109, STS-110, STS-112, STS-113, STS-115, STS-120, STS-129, STS-131, and STS-132

Edwards Air Force Base

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ALT-16 comes to an end as Enterprise lands on runway 04 at Edwards AFB

Edwards Air Force Base in California was the site of the first Space Shuttle landing, and became a back-up site to the prime landing location, the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. Several runways are arrayed on the dry lakebed at Rogers Dry Lake,[6] and there are also concrete runways. Space shuttle landings on the lake bed took place on Runways 05/23, 15/33 and 17/35. Of the concrete strips, the main Runway 04/22 was utilized. During the renovation of 04/22, a temporary runway (with the same designation) was constructed parallel to it and used for one landing (STS-126).[7] Five ALT free flights and 54 operational Space Shuttle missions landed on Edwards Air Force Base runways, making a total of fifty-nine.[8]

Runway Surface material Missions landed[5]
Runway 05 Dry lakebed 1 mission (STS-44)
Runway 23 Dry lakebed 8 missions (STS-1, STS-2, STS-51-G, STS-51-F, STS-51-I, STS-51-J, STS-34 and STS-36)
Runway 15 Dry lakebed 2 missions: ALT-14 and STS-7
Runway 33 Dry lakebed 1 mission: STS-37
Runway 17 Dry lakebed 11 missions: ALT-12, ALT-13, ALT-15, STS-9, STS-41-C, STS-41-D, STS-51-B, STS-61-A, STS-26, STS-27 and STS-28
Runway 35 Dry lakebed (none)
Runway 04 Concrete 3 missions: ALT-16, STS-33, STS-64
Runway 22 Concrete 32 missions: STS-4, STS-5, STS-6, STS-8, STS-61-B, STS-61-C, STS-29, STS-30, STS-32, STS-31, STS-41, STS-35, STS-40, STS-48, STS-42, STS-49, STS-53, STS-55, STS-58, STS-59, STS-68, STS-66, STS-67, STS-76, STS-92, STS-98, STS-100, STS-111, STS-114, STS-117, STS-125 and STS-128
Runway 04 (Temporary) Asphalt 1 mission: STS-126

White Sands

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Columbia (STS-3) landing on Northrop Strip at White Sands Space Harbor, 30 March 1982, flanked by two T-38 chase planes

White Sands Space Harbor at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico was an emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle and was used as a backup when the runways at Edwards Air Force Base and the Kennedy Space Center were unavailable. Two 35,000 feet (11,000 m) runways and a 12,800-foot (3,900 m) runway were available for landings on the dry lake bed.[9] One mission, STS-3, used Runway 17 for a landing due to flooding at its originally planned landing site, Edwards Air Force Base.

Runway Surface material Missions landed[10]
Runway 17 Dry lakebed STS-3

Transoceanic abort landing sites

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In the event of an abort during launch, NASA had several international locations designated as transoceanic abort landing (TAL) sites. The sites included Naval Air Station Bermuda, Lajes Air Base in Terceira island, Azores, Portugal, Zaragoza Air Base in Spain, Morón Air Base in Spain, and Istres Air Base in France.[11] All sites have runways of sufficient length to support the landing of a Space Shuttle, and included personnel from NASA as well as equipment to aid a space shuttle landing.[12] Zaragoza Air Base features Runway 30L with a length of 12,109 ft (3,691 m);[13] Morón Air Base features an 11,800 ft (3,600 m) runway;[14] and Istres Air Base features Runway 33 with a length of 12,303 ft (3,750 m).[15] Former TAL sites include Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory; Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany; Ben Guerir Air Base, Morocco (1988–2002);[16] Casablanca, Morocco (up to 1986);[16] Banjul International Airport, The Gambia (1987–2002);[17] Dakar, Senegal; Rota, Spain; and Kano, Nigeria.[18] Had a TAL situation arisen during a launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Hao and Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean would have been the TAL sites, as would Andersen AFB, Guam with one of the longest concrete runways in the world.[19][20]

RAF Fairford was the only transoceanic abort landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle in the UK. As well as having a sufficiently long runway for a Shuttle landing (the runway is 3 km long), Fairford also had NASA-trained fire and medical crews stationed on the base.[21]

East Coast abort landing sites

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In certain launch abort situations where the mission profile supports a trajectory for such a landing, runways on the East Coast of the United States and Canada could have been used for an East Coast abort landing (ECAL) situation. The following sites could have been used for an ECAL:[22]

Landing Site Location Country
Miami International Airport Miami, Florida   United States
Plattsburgh International Airport Plattsburgh, New York   United States
Francis S. Gabreski Airport Westhampton Beach, New York[23]   United States
Atlantic City International Airport Atlantic City, New York[24]   United States
Myrtle Beach International Airport Myrtle Beach, South Carolina[25]   United States
Wilmington International Airport Wilmington, North Carolina   United States
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point North Carolina[23]   United States
Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia[23]   United States
Dover Air Force Base Delaware[23]   United States
Bangor International Airport Bangor, Maine[26]   United States
Loring Air Force Base Limestone, Maine[27]   United States
Otis Air National Guard Base Massachussetts[23]   United States
Westover Air Reserve Base Massachussetts[28]   United States
Bradley International Airport Connecticut   United States
Pease Air National Guard Base Portsmouth, New Hampshire[23]   United States
Halifax Stanfield International Airport Enfield, Nova Scotia[29]   Canada
Stephenville International Airport Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador[29]   Canada
CFB Goose Bay Newfoundland and Labrador[29]   Canada
Gander International Airport Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador[29]   Canada
St. John's International Airport St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador[29]   Canada

Vandenberg Air Force Base

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Space Shuttle missions to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California were planned to conclude with a landing at Runway 12/30 at the site.[30][31] The runway was lengthened to support shuttle landings.[32] The first landing at Vandenberg was planned for mission STS-62-A, which was scheduled for launch in July 1986, but cancelled in the wake of the STS-51-L accident.[33] No space shuttle operations or landings ever occurred at the site.[34]

Other sites

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The joint use civilian/military Lincoln Airport/Lincoln Air National Guard Base in Lincoln, Nebraska was designated as an alternate landing site for its 12,900 ft (3,932 m) long main runway. Including 1000 ft over-runs on each end, the runway totaled almost 15,000 ft in length. The site also had low air traffic, both commercial and military.[35][36][37] No space shuttle landing ever occurred there.

Amílcar Cabral International Airport on the island of Sal, Cape Verde, was another designated emergency landing site. Runway 01/19 at Amílcar Cabral International Airport is 10,735 ft long and is paved. No Space Shuttle landing occurred here either. Also Gran Canaria Airport was used as a back-up site.

The French Istres-Le Tubé Air Base was also another designated site.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "HSF – The Shuttle". Spaceflight.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 30 August 2000. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  2. ^ "Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)". Science.ksc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  3. ^ "NASA – STS-51D". Nasa.gov. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Kennedy History Quiz". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Shuttle". Astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2002. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  6. ^ "KEDW – Edwards Air Force Base". AirNav. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  7. ^ "Endeavour, STS-126 crew lands on temp California runway". iTWire. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Dryden Supported Many Aspects of Space Shuttle Missions". nasa.gov. NASA. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  9. ^ "NASA – Capabilities". Nasa.gov. 3 June 2008. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  10. ^ "STS-3". Astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  11. ^ "NASA – Roster of Runways Ready to Bring a Shuttle Home". Nasa.gov. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  12. ^ "John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites". Pao.ksc.nasa.gov. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  13. ^ "John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites". Pao.ksc.nasa.gov. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011.
  14. ^ "John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites". Pao.ksc.nasa.gov. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  15. ^ "John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites". Pao.ksc.nasa.gov. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  16. ^ a b "John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites". Pao.ksc.nasa.gov. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  17. ^ "John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites". Pao.ksc.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  18. ^ "Ask Us – Space Shuttle Abort Modes". Aerospaceweb.org. 25 June 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  19. ^ Shayler, David (2009). Space Rescue: Ensuring the Safety of Manned Spacecraft. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-387-73996-0.
  20. ^ Boadle, Anthony (30 June 1985). "Lonely Easter Island Will Be Emergency Shuttle Landing Site". Los Angeles Times.
  21. ^ "RAF Fairford on standby for Space Shuttle landing". BBC Gloucestershire. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  22. ^ "Space Shuttle Landing and Rollout Training at the VerticalMotion Simulator" (PDF). NASA Aviation Systems. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2009.
  23. ^ a b c d e f "DOD Support to manned space operations for STS-118". norad.mil. 3 August 2007. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  24. ^ Doyle W. Hensley; Marissa Herron; Daniel P. Murray. Evolution of National Airspace System Protection for Space Shuttle Launch and Landing (PDF) (Report). NASA. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  25. ^ NASA Names North Carolina Airport Emergency Landing Site for Shuttle Archived 18 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ Sam Savage. "NASA Puts BIA on Shuttle Landing List". redorbit.com. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  27. ^ Shayler David (2009). Space Rescue: Ensuring the Safety of Manned Spacecraft. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-387-73996-0.
  28. ^ Joe Wallace. "Westover Air Reserve Base". Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  29. ^ a b c d e "Trasnport Canada NASA Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Site Contingency Plan" (PDF). Transport Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2013.
  30. ^ "KVBG – Vandenberg Air Force Base". AirNav. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  31. ^ Henry, R.C.; Sloan, Aubrey B. (September–October 1976). "The Space Shuttle and Vandenberg Air Force Base". Air University Review. 27 (6). Archived from the original on 27 June 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  32. ^ The Bulletin - Google News Archive Search
  33. ^ "STS-62-A". Astronautix.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  34. ^ "The Air Force Space Shuttle Program: A Brief History". Aero.org. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  35. ^ "Airport Board Meeting Minutes". Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  36. ^ "Lincoln Air Guard Base".
  37. ^ "Lincoln Airport (LNK/KLNK) (Lincoln, Nebraska)".
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