![]() This also marked the first landing of a spacecraft at its launch site. The runway was first used to land a Space Shuttle on February 11, 1984, when Challenger's STS-41-B mission returned to Earth. Space Shuttle Atlantis landing after STS-122Ĭolumbia was the first Shuttle to arrive at the SLF via the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on March 24, 1979. The Bird Team kept the facility clear of both local and migratory birds during Shuttle landings using pyrotechnics, blank rounds fired from shotguns and a series of 25 propane cannons arranged around the facility. The landing facility is managed by contractor EG&G, which provides air traffic control services, as well as managing potential hazards to landing aircraft, such as bird life. Ī local nickname for the runway is the "gator tanning facility", as some of the 4,000 alligators living at Kennedy Space Center regularly bask in the sunlight on the runway. This issue was resolved by grinding down the pavement, reducing the depth of the grooves significantly. ![]() The original groove design was found to actually provide too much friction for the rubber used in the Shuttle's tires, causing failures during several landings. It uses a grooved design to provide drainage and further increase the coefficient of friction. The runway surface consists of an extremely high- friction concrete strip designed to maximize the braking ability of the Space Shuttle at its high landing speed, with a paving thickness of 16.0 inches (40.6 cm) at the center. The runway is designated runway 15, or 33, depending on the direction of use. The Mate-Demate Device (MDD), for use when the Shuttle was transported by the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, was located just off the southern end of the runway. Lousma stated that he would have preferred the runway to be "half as wide and twice as long" ) Additionally, the SLF has 1,001 feet (305 m) of paved overruns at each end. It is one of the longest runways in the world, at 15,000 feet (4,600 m), and is 300 feet (91 m) wide. The Shuttle Landing Facility covers 500 acres (2,000,000 m 2) and has a single runway, 15/33. The Mate-Demate Device at the Shuttle Landing Facility
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