Nasa Shuttle Landing Facility Airport

The NASA Shuttle Landing Facility (IATA: TTS, ICAO: KTTS, FAA LID: TTS) is an airport located on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, USA. It is a part of the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and is used by the NASA Space Shuttle for landing, as well as takeoffs and landings for the NASA training jets, and civilian aircraft, such as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

Facilities

The Shuttle Landing Facility covers 500 acres (200 ha) and has a single runway, 15/33. It is one of the longest runways in the world, at 4,572 m (15,000 ft), and 91.4 meters (300 ft) wide. Additionally, the SLF has 305 meters (1,001 ft) of paved overruns at each end. The Mate-Demate Device (MDD) for use when the shuttle is transported by the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is located just off the runway.

The runway is designated runway 15, or 33, depending on the direction of use. 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 the paving thickness 40.6 cm (16.0 in) at the center. It uses a grooved design to provide drainage, and further increase the coefficient of friction. 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. This issue was resolved by grinding down the pavement, reducing the depth of the grooves significantly.

The runway was first used by a space shuttle on 11 February 1984 when the STS-41-B mission returned to earth. This also marked the first ever landing of a spacecraft at its launch site.

A local nickname for the runway is the "gator tanning facility", as some of the 4000 alligators living at Kennedy Space Center regularly bask in the sun on the runway.

The landing facility is managed by contractor EG&G which provides air traffic control services as well as managing hazards to landing aircraft around the facility, including birds. The Bird Team keeps the facility clear of both local and migratory birds during shuttle landings using pyrotechnics, firing blanks from shotguns and a series of 25 propane cannon arranged around the facility.

Other users

The SLF has also been used by commercial users such as Zero Gravity Corporation which offers flights where passengers experience brief periods of micro gravity and recording setting attempts in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. NASCAR teams have also used the facility for vehicle testing.

Location & QuickFacts

FAA Information Effective:	2007-01-18
Airport Identifier:	TTS
Airport Status:	Operational
Longitude/Latitude:	080-41-40.2000W/28-36-54.0000N -80.694500/28.615000 (Estimated)
Elevation:	10 ft / 3.05 m (Surveyed)
Land:	500 acres
From nearest city:	6 nautical miles E of Titusville, FL
Location:	Brevard County, FL
Magnetic Variation:	05W (1995)

Owner & Manager

Ownership:	Publicly owned
Owner:	Natl Aeronautics & Space Adm
Address:	Kennedy Space Cntr, FL 32815
Phone number:	321-867-2100
Manager:	Robert Bryan
Address:	P.o. Box 21237, Sgs 346 Kennedy Space Cntr, FL 32815
Phone number:	321-867-2100

Airport Operations and Facilities

Airport Use:	Private
Wind indicator:	Yes
Segmented Circle:	Yes
Control Tower:	Yes
Lighting Schedule:	DUSK-DAWN FOR HIRL RY 15/33 CTC TWR - 128.55.
Beacon Color:	Clear-Green (lighted land airport)
Landing fee charge:	No
Sectional chart:	Jacksonville
Region:	ASO - Southern
Boundary ARTCC:	ZMA - Miami
Responsible ARTCC:	ZJX - Jacksonville
Tie-in FSS:	PIE - Saint Petersburg FSS-ST. PETERSBURG PIE-NOTAM PIE
FSS on Airport:	No
FSS Toll Free:	1-800-WX-BRIEF
NOTAMs Facility:	PIE (NOTAM-d service avaliable)
Certification type/date:	I L U 07/1976

Airport Communications

CTAF:

123.600

Airport Services

Bulk Oxygen:

HIGH/LOW

Runway Information

Runway 15/33

Radio Navigation Aids

Remarks

Operational Statistics

General Info
Country	United States
State	FLORIDA
FAA ID	TTS
Time	UTC-5(-4DT)
Latitude	28.614996 28� 36' 53.99" N
Longitude	-80.694494 080� 41' 40.18" W
Elevation	10 feet 3 meters
Magnetic Variation	005� W (01/06)
Beacon	Yes
Operating Agency	NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Near City	Titusville
Operating Hours	SEE REMARKS FOR OPERATING HOURS OR COMMUNICATIONS FOR POSSIBLE HOURS
Daylight Saving Time	Second Sunday in March at 0200 to first Sunday in November at 0200 local time (Exception Arizona and that portion of Indiana in the Eastern Time Zone)

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