list of Space Shuttle landing sites

{{Main|Shuttle Landing Facility}}

File:STS-133 landing at Kennedy Space Center 16.jpg 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 {{convert|15000|ft|m|adj=on}} concrete runway, 15/33.{{cite web |url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/slf.html |title=Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) |publisher=Science.ksc.nasa.gov |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-date=27 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527194438/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/slf.html |url-status=dead }} 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,{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-51D.html |title=NASA – STS-51D |publisher=Nasa.gov |access-date=20 October 2011}} 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.{{cite web |title=Kennedy History Quiz |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/history/quiz_page.html#23 |website=nasa.gov |publisher=NASA |access-date=7 October 2018}}

File:Atlas Collection Image (33735861511).jpg 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 backup 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,{{cite web|url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/KEDW |title=KEDW – Edwards Air Force Base |publisher=AirNav |access-date=20 October 2011}} 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).{{cite web |url=https://itwire.com/science-news/space/endeavour-sts-126-crew-lands-on-temp-california-runway.html |title=Endeavour, STS-126 crew lands on temp California runway |publisher=iTWire |date=1 December 2008 |access-date=12 November 2022}} Five ALT free flights and fifty-four operational Space Shuttle missions landed on Edwards Air Force Base runways, making a total of fifty-nine.{{cite web |title=Dryden Supported Many Aspects of Space Shuttle Missions |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/drydens_shuttle_support.html |website=nasa.gov |publisher=NASA |access-date=7 October 2018 |date=8 December 2011}}

File:STS-3 landing.jpg (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 {{convert|35000|ft|m}} runways and a {{convert|12800|ft|m|adj=on}} runway were available for landings on the dry lake bed.{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/spaceharbor/Capabilities.html |title=NASA – Capabilities |publisher=Nasa.gov |date=3 June 2008 |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614181714/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wstf/spaceharbor/Capabilities.html |archive-date=14 June 2013 |url-status=dead}} One mission, STS-3, used Runway 17 for a landing due to flooding at its originally planned landing site, Edwards Air Force Base.

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/landing_sites.html |title=NASA – Roster of Runways Ready to Bring a Shuttle Home |publisher=Nasa.gov |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-date=6 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206231403/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/flyout/landing_sites.html |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/tal.htm |title=John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |publisher=Pao.ksc.nasa.gov |date=18 January 2006 |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029062013/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/tal.htm |archive-date=29 October 2011 }} Zaragoza Air Base features Runway 30L with a length of {{convert|12109|ft|m|abbr=on}};{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talspainz.htm |title=John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |publisher=Pao.ksc.nasa.gov |date=18 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029061756/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talspainz.htm |archive-date=29 October 2011 }} Morón Air Base features an {{convert|11800|ft|m|abbr=on}} runway;{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talspain.htm |title=John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |publisher=Pao.ksc.nasa.gov |date=18 January 2006 |access-date=20 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029061855/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talspain.htm |archive-date=29 October 2011 }} and Istres Air Base features Runway 33 with a length of {{convert|12303|ft|m|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talistres.htm |title=John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |publisher=Pao.ksc.nasa.gov |date=18 January 2006 |access-date=20 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029061323/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talistres.htm |archive-date=29 October 2011 }} Former TAL sites include Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory; Cologne Bonn Airport in Germany; Ben Guerir Air Base, Morocco (1988–2002);{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talmor.htm |title=John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |publisher=Pao.ksc.nasa.gov |date=18 January 2006 |access-date=20 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315223556/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talmor.htm |archive-date=15 March 2007 }} Casablanca, Morocco (up to 1986); Banjul International Airport, The Gambia (1987–2002);{{cite web |url=http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talgambia.htm |title=John F. Kennedy Space Center – Space Shuttle Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) Sites |publisher=Pao.ksc.nasa.gov |access-date=20 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610021258/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/nasafact/talgambia.htm |archive-date=10 June 2011 }} Dakar, Senegal; Rota, Spain; and Kano, Nigeria.{{cite web|url=http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/spacecraft/q0278.shtml |title=Ask Us – Space Shuttle Abort Modes |publisher=Aerospaceweb.org |date=25 June 2006 |access-date=20 October 2011}} 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.{{cite book |last=Shayler |first=David |title=Space Rescue: Ensuring the Safety of Manned Spacecraft |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wEHL8MIhRa8C&pg=PA222 |date=2009 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-0-387-73996-0 |page=222 }}{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-30-mn-70-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |first=Anthony |last=Boadle |date=30 June 1985 |title=Lonely Easter Island Will Be Emergency Shuttle Landing Site }}

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.{{cite news|title=RAF Fairford on standby for Space Shuttle landing|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/gloucestershire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9158000/9158818.stm|access-date=19 January 2011|newspaper=BBC Gloucestershire|date=4 November 2010}}

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:{{cite web|title=Space Shuttle Landing and Rollout Training at the VerticalMotion Simulator|url=http://www.aviationsystemsdivision.arc.nasa.gov/publications/2008/AF2008096.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120224605/http://www.aviationsystemsdivision.arc.nasa.gov/publications/2008/AF2008096.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 January 2009|publisher=NASA Aviation Systems}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.airnav.com/airport/KVBG |title=KVBG – Vandenberg Air Force Base |publisher=AirNav |access-date=20 October 2011}}{{cite journal|last1=Henry|first1=R.C.|last2=Sloan|first2=Aubrey B.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040627050109/http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1976/sep-oct/sloan.html|archive-date=27 June 2004|url=http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1976/sep-oct/sloan.html |title=The Space Shuttle and Vandenberg Air Force Base |journal=Air University Review|date=September–October 1976|volume=27|issue=6|access-date=14 June 2022|url-status=dead}} The runway was lengthened to support shuttle landings.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PpQSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6726%2C4127444 The Bulletin - Google News Archive Search] 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.astronautix.com/flights/sts62a.htm |title=STS-62-A |publisher=Astronautix.com |access-date=20 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108035802/http://astronautix.com/flights/sts62a.htm |archive-date=8 January 2010 }} No space shuttle operations or landings ever occurred at the site.{{cite web |url=http://www.aero.org/publications/crosslink/winter2003/05.html |title=The Air Force Space Shuttle Program: A Brief History |publisher=Aero.org |access-date=20 October 2011 |archive-date=23 June 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030623043144/http://www.aero.org/publications/crosslink/winter2003/05.html |url-status=dead }}

{{Main|Space Shuttle abort modes#Emergency landing sites}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.lincolnairport.com/minutes.cfm?select%3D26 |title=Airport Board Meeting Minutes |access-date=2 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018072700/http://www.lincolnairport.com/minutes.cfm?select=26 |archive-date=18 October 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/lincoln.htm |title=Lincoln Air Guard Base }}{{cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/12178/Lincoln-Airport-LNK-KLNK|title=Lincoln Airport (LNK/KLNK) (Lincoln, Nebraska)}} 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|date=June 2024}}

• Space Shuttle emergency landing sites

{{Reflist|33em}}

• [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/slf.html Shuttle Landing Facility] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527194438/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/slf.html |date=27 May 2010 }}
• [https://www.edwards.af.mil/ Edwards Air Force Base]
• [https://www.balettie.com/landingsiteinfo/ Space Shuttle Worldwide Landing Sites]

{{Space Shuttle}}

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Landing Sites

Category:Kennedy Space Center

Shuttle landing sites