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From: jmaynard@thesis1.hsch.utexas.edu (Jay Maynard)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Shuttle question
Message-ID: <4344@lib.tmc.edu>
Date: 22 Nov 90 16:50:11 GMT
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In article <40040@ut-emx.uucp> aoab314@ut-emx.uucp (Srinivas Bettadpur) writes:
>Anyway, that brings me to my next question.  Would some kind soul 
>provide some info on the selection of alternative landing sites for
>the shuttle ?  Somehow, I never knew Florida was an alternative.
>Don't they need stupendous ground facilities (like a huge runway
>and so on) for the shuttle to be able land there ?

Any airport with a runway longer than 10000 feet can be used as a landing
site in a pinch, although the pilot would have to hand-fly it to a landing.
If they wanted to get home in a hurry, they could land it at Houston
Intercontinental...

Of course, thereare other facilities at the "normal" designated landing
sites that make the job of getting the shuttle loaded on the 747 a whole
lot easier. I don't know how long they'd have to close IAH after the
shuttle landed there.
-- 
Jay Maynard, EMT-P, K5ZC, PP-ASEL | Never ascribe to malice that which can
jmaynard@thesis1.hsch.utexas.edu  | adequately be explained by stupidity.
         "With design like this, who needs bugs?" - Boyd Roberts