Spaceflight Insider

News Archive / Tagged: Shuttle Landing Facility

  • Former Shuttle Landing Facility to get new ‘utility corridor’

    Theresa CrossJuly 10th, 2021

    Construction on a new "utility corridor" has begun at the former Shuttle Landing Facility, now known as the Launch and Landing Facility, which is run by Space Florida.

  • U.S. Air Force’s secretive X-37B shuttle returns under cover of night

    Cullen DesforgesOctober 28th, 2019

    MERRITT ISLAND, FL – After a record-breaking 780 days on orbit the United States Air Force’s secretive space plane, the X-37B, touched down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 27, 2019.

  • Once used for Shuttle landings, iconic runway cleared for horizontal launches

    Jim SharkeyNovember 10th, 2018

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — With the close of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, the future of the facilities that supported the program was in doubt. The mantra of Kennedy Space Center becoming a "multi-user spaceport" was drummed out at every event where the center's future was discussed. With every passing day, that mantra appears to becoming a reality.

  • NASA’s historic Shuttle Landing Facility enters new era

    Collin SkocikJune 24th, 2015

    For three decades, the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF ) has been a mainstay at Kennedy Space Center. At 15,000 feet (4,572 m) long, it is the 18th longest runway in the world and is also maintains a major place in history as the ending point of the majority of Space Shuttle missions. Up to now, the […]

  • Florida Today: State of Florida could take over management of SLF

    Jason RhianJune 15th, 2015

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla — The three mile-long Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF ) at KSC could be managed by the State of Florida’s organization tasked with maintaining and growing the aerospace infrastructure in the Sunshine State. Florida Today’s James Dean detailed in a recent report how Space Florida plans to handle the iconic landing strip which, since 2011, […]

  • Historic Mate-Demate Device demolished at KSC as part of center upgrades

    Collin SkocikFebruary 8th, 2015

    NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is undergoing renovations to transform it into a multi-user spaceport. In the process, many of the historic buildings will be demolished and replaced with more efficient alternatives. One of Space Shuttle Program’s more iconic elements, the Mate-Demate Device (MDD), was demolished in late 2014 so that the facility could […]

  • The Shuttle Landing Experience offering discounted rates for dads on Father’s Day

    Jason RhianJune 12th, 2014

    TITUSVILLE, Fla — The Shuttle Landing Experience is offering discounted rates for folks who bring in their dads on Father’s Day and the timing of this special offer could not come at a better time. The normal rate of $65 per person will be dropped for dad to just $50 and anyone accompanying him will […]

  • Morpheus Lander looks to complete NASA’s first fully autonomous landing

    James TuttenMay 23rd, 2014

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla — Project Morpheus is looking to make history after years of development, testing, and setbacks, to become NASA’s first fully autonomous landing vehicle. Consisting of the Morpheus Lander, a relatively low-cost launch vehicle, equipped with the Autonomous Landing Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) control system, which is described by NASA engineers as […]

  • NASA’s Morpheus awake from slumber, ascends at Kennedy Space Center

    Mike HowardJanuary 17th, 2014

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla — NASA’s Morpheus test article has made a triumphant return to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. A little less than a year-and-a-half after the first Morpheus crashed at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF), the second Morpheus has started conducting test flights. Yesterday, the second lander conducted a free-flight at […]