EMERGENCY ABORT SITES
Harry Butts
effect when a shuttle launches?
Thanks...
Christopher M. Jones
Ben Guerir Air Base in Morocco
Zaragoza Air Base in Spain
Yundum International Airport in Banjul, Gambia
Moron Air Base in Spain
Additional landing sites (from orbit) are at KSC, Vandenberg AFB,
Edwards AFB, and White Sands, NM.
--
The slow blade penetrates the shield.
MB
or not:
Dakar, West Africa is one. It's always their first emergency site if a
launch booster gives
problems (when you listen to launch comms they do a downrange emergency
sites
check - and Dakar is always there.)
I think Diego Garcia is next.
Then perhaps Perth - tho by that time they're in orbit.
In flight emergencies could be Houston, Edwards AFB, and a few others
probably in Oz desert or perhaps here in South Africa where I am - one of
our AFB's has a C130 capable runway, plus our commercial
airport in Jhb has a C130/tanker capable runway too, tho I doubt they'd risk
a shuttle over a built up area.
Maybe Antarctica in summer might work - they have loooooooooooooooong
runways to get up off
the ice.
Irvine Green
"Harry Butts" <yom...@apple.com> wrote in message
news:902930$1snk$1...@newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com...
Andrew Gray
> Maybe Antarctica in summer might work - they have loooooooooooooooong
> runways to get up off
> the ice.
I think Antarctica, whilst probably out of the "drop range" anyway,
would be ruled out on climactic grounds; having seen what the
requirements for transferring the Shuttle look like, I doubt you'd ever
manage it from down there.
--
-Andrew Gray
shim...@bigfoot.com
Kim Keller
"MB" <mark.but...@baesystems.com> wrote in message
news:3a250b25$1...@pull.gecm.com...
> Dakar, West Africa is one. It's always their first emergency site if a
> launch booster gives
> problems (when you listen to launch comms they do a downrange emergency
> sites
> check - and Dakar is always there.)
Ummmm, not any more. Although the runway is on the list of acceptable
alternates, no agreement with Senegal is currently in place. Dakar was a TAL
site in the early days of the program.
Just next door, though, is Banjul, The Gambia. That is a TAL (Transoceanic
Abort Landing) site, temporarily staffed by NASA/contractor employees during
launch support. It is only used for low-inclination missions and won't be
called up for ISS flights.
> I think Diego Garcia is next.
There's a lengthy list posted under the heading "shuttle emergency deorbit
question" and "list update" somewhere in this newsgroup. Basically, landing
sites are divided into a few categories:
End-of-Mission: KSC, Dryden (Edwards AFB) and White Sands Space Harbor.
These are the three locations with the necessary equipment to handle a
nominal end-of mission landing.
TAL: Zaragoza and Moron, Spain; Ben Guerir, Morocco; Banjul, The Gambia.
These temporarily-staffed sites are designed to permit a safe landing in
case of engine failures.
ECAL: East Coast Abort Landing. These are runways along the Eastern seaboard
that could be safely used for an ascent abort by a Shuttle during a
high-inclination launch, such as to ISS. They are not staffed by NASA, but
tend to be Air Force Bases and some commercial airports. They could come in
handy in preventing an attempted Return-To-Launch-Site abort (RTLS) - a
high-risk maneuver.
ELS: Emergency Landing Sites. A long list of world-wide commercial and
military sites where a Shuttle could put down if an expedited reentry was
called for.
Martin Ortmayr
wrote:
>ECAL: East Coast Abort Landing. These are runways along the Eastern seaboard
>that could be safely used for an ascent abort by a Shuttle during a
>high-inclination launch, such as to ISS. They are not staffed by NASA, but
>tend to be Air Force Bases and some commercial airports. They could come in
>handy in preventing an attempted Return-To-Launch-Site abort (RTLS) - a
>high-risk maneuver.
Could the shuttle launch in bad weather if they planned beforehand to
use an ECAL site on a RTLS abort? (provided the weather at the ECAL
site was O.K. of course) ? By bad weather I mean crosswinds at KSC
too high or low cloud cover or something like that.
Roger Balettie
> Could the shuttle launch in bad weather if they planned beforehand to
> use an ECAL site on a RTLS abort? (provided the weather at the ECAL
> site was O.K. of course) ? By bad weather I mean crosswinds at KSC
> too high or low cloud cover or something like that.
The simple answer is "no".
The RTLS landing site is KSC. Period.
Roger
==============================
Roger Balettie
former Flight Dynamics Officer
Space Shuttle Mission Control
http://members.aol.com/ramjetfdo/
Jorge R. Frank
<m6fa2to9nsdi7mh12...@4ax.com>:
>On Wed, 29 Nov 2000 15:55:24 GMT, "Kim Keller" <keke...@cfl.rr.com>
>wrote:
>
>>ECAL: East Coast Abort Landing. These are runways along the Eastern
>>seaboard that could be safely used for an ascent abort by a Shuttle
>>during a high-inclination launch, such as to ISS. They are not staffed
>>by NASA, but tend to be Air Force Bases and some commercial airports.
>>They could come in handy in preventing an attempted
>>Return-To-Launch-Site abort (RTLS) - a high-risk maneuver.
>
>Could the shuttle launch in bad weather if they planned beforehand to
>use an ECAL site on a RTLS abort? (provided the weather at the ECAL
>site was O.K. of course) ? By bad weather I mean crosswinds at KSC
>too high or low cloud cover or something like that.
In theory, yes, but it won't happen. ECAL is a contingency abort, not an
intact abort. It subjects the orbiter to higher loads (i.e. beyond the
certified capacity of the airframe) than RTLS, and even then it's not
guaranteed the orbiter will be able to make the runway. It's better than
bailing out, but is generally considered riskier than an RTLS.
--
JRF
Reply-to address spam-proofed - to reply by E-mail,
check "Organization" and think one step ahead of IBM.
Justin Wigg
news:902930$1snk$1...@newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com...
> Anyone have any info on the various emergency procedures/landing sites in
> effect when a shuttle launches?
Another badly needed FAQ entry I feel. Are you there Michael?
--
He who laughs last... | Justin Wigg - Hobart, AUSTRALIA
...thinks slowest. | Reply: justi...@yahoo.com
Kim Keller
"Jorge R. Frank" <jrf...@ibm-pc.org> wrote in message
news:8FFBB044...@151.164.30.56...
> ECAL is a contingency abort, not an
> intact abort. It subjects the orbiter to higher loads (i.e. beyond the
> certified capacity of the airframe) than RTLS, and even then it's not
> guaranteed the orbiter will be able to make the runway. It's better than
> bailing out, but is generally considered riskier than an RTLS.
Ahhh- I wasn't aware of this. Can you share some more details? What kind of
loads are we talking about?
--
Kim Keller
Orbiter Quality, Fraternal Order of the Pad Rat
http://www.geocities.com/kimekeller
Jorge R. Frank
<ZklV5.79434$vc3.16...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com>:
>
>"Jorge R. Frank" <jrf...@ibm-pc.org> wrote in message
>news:8FFBB044...@151.164.30.56...
>> ECAL is a contingency abort, not an
>> intact abort. It subjects the orbiter to higher loads (i.e. beyond
>> the certified capacity of the airframe) than RTLS, and even then it's
>> not guaranteed the orbiter will be able to make the runway. It's
>> better than bailing out, but is generally considered riskier than an
>> RTLS.
>
>Ahhh- I wasn't aware of this. Can you share some more details? What kind
>of loads are we talking about?
Mainly aero and heat loads, due to the way off-nominal entry conditions.
Steve Vernon
Harry Butts <yom...@apple.com> wrote in article
<902930$1snk$1...@newssvr06-en0.news.prodigy.com>...
> Anyone have any info on the various emergency procedures/landing sites in
> effect when a shuttle launches?
>
> Thanks...
>
>
>
posted to Sci.space.shuttle on 2000/11/18:
.
.
.
Kim Keller <keke...@cfl.rr.com> wrote in article
<GTxR5.40717$Ze6.8...@typhoon.tampabay.rr.com>...
> From the 09.07.95 revision of NSTS 07700 ("my big book of program
specs"),
> Vol. X "Flight & Ground System Specifications", Book 3 Requirements for
> runways and navigational aids":
>
> Amberley, Australia.............................ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Amilcar Cabral, Cape Verde Island..ELS low, mid
> Anderson AFB, Guam........................ELS low, mid, high (50*-63.5*)
> Yundum Int'l, Banjul, Gambia..............TAL, ELS low, mid
> Beja, Portugal......................................ELS high (50*-53.5*)
> Ben Guerir, Morocco...........................TAL, ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Bermuda Int'l, Bermuda.......................ELS low, mid
> Cherry Point MCAS, NC.....................ECAL, ELS high (50*-63.5*)
> Dakar, Senegal....................................ELS low -----------No
> agreement for use
> Darwin, Australia..................................ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Diego Garcia, Chagos Island.............ELS low, mid, high (50*-63.5*)
> Dover AFB, DE....................................ECAL, ELS high
> (53.6*-63.5*)
> Dyess AFB, TX....................................ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*), NOR AOA wx alt.
> Edwards AFB, CA...............................EOM, AOA, ELS low, mid,
high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Esenboga, Turkey................................ELS high (50*-63.5*)
> Fairford, England.................................ELS high
> (50*-63.5*)-----ascent only
> Gander, Newfoundland........................ECAL, ELS high (50*-63.5*)
> Goose Bay, Newfoundland.................ECAL, ELS high (53.6*-63.5*)
> Halifax Int'l, Nova Scotia......................ECAL, ELS high
(50*-63.5*)
> Hao Atoll, Society Island.....................ELS low, mid, high
(50*-63.5*)
> Hickam AFB, HI...................................ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Hoedspruit, South Africa.....................ELS low, mid
> King Khalid Int'l, Saudi Arabia............ELS low, mid, high (50*-63.5*)
> Kinshasa, Zaire....................................ELS low
> Koln-Bohn, Germany...........................ELS high (53.6*-63.5*),
downran
> ge abort or deorbit
> underburn
> site; coordinates not carried in onboard
> software
> (50*-53.5* only).
> KSC, FL...............................................EOM, RTLS, AOA, ELS
> low, mid, high (50*-63.5*)
> Lajes AB, Azores................................ELS mid, high (50*-63.5*)
> Los Palmas, Canary Island................ELS low, mid
> Moron AB, Spain.................................TAL, ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Myrtle Beach SC.................................ECAL, ELS high
(53.6*-63.5*)
> Nassau Int'l, Bahamas........................ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*;downrange abort; coordinates not
> carried),
> underburn in software.
> Northrup. NM.......................................EOM, AOA, ELS low,
mid,
> high (50*-63.5*)
> Oceana NAS, VA...............................ECAL, ELS high (50*-63.5*)
> Orlando Int'l, FL...................................ELS low, mid, high
> (50*-63.5*; downrange abort or
> deorbit
> underburn site; coordinates not carried); underburn in low software
> Otis ANGB, MA..................................ECAL, ELS high (50*-63.5*)
> Pease, NH..........................................ECAL, ELS high
> (50*-63.5*)
> Roberts Field, Liberia.......................ELS low, mid
> St. Johns, Newfoundland..................ECAL, ELS high (50*-63.5*)
> Shannon, Ireland................................ELS high (50*-63.5*);
ascent
> only
> Souda Bay, Crete..............................ELS low, mid; above 40*
> inclination only
> Stephenville, Newfoundland.............ECAL, ELS high (50*-63.5*); prior
> coordination for night use.
> Tamanrasset, Algeria.......................ELS low, mid; mid inclination
> ascent only
> Zaragoza, Spain................................TAL, ELS mid, high
> (50*-63.5*)
>
> Notes:
> 1. ELS low = Emergency landing site for low inclination launches
> 2. ELS mid = Emergency landing site for mid inclination launches
> 3. ELS High = Emergency landing site for high inclination launches. Note
> that there are two categories of ELS high: 50*- 53.5*, and 53.6*-63.5*.
> 4. Some sites are downrange abort or deorbit sites whose coordinates are
not
> carried in onboard software. perhaps Jorge or Roger could illuminate this
> point.
> 5. There are sites (predominantly high inclination) that are not
currently
> (as of 1995) on the landing site table. They are:
> Arlanda, Sweden
> Ascension Aux AF, Ascension Island
> Ellsworth AFB, SD
> Elmendorf AFB, AK
> Grant County, WA
> Grissom AFB, IN
> Lincoln Municipal, NE
> Mataveri, Easter Island
> Miramar NAS, CA
> Mountain Home AFB, ID
> Plattsburg AFB, NY
> Rota NS, Spain
> Upper Hayford, UK
> Wake Island AAF, Wake Island
> Westover AFB, MA
> Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
> Yokota, Tokyo, Honshu Island, Japan
>
> Perhaps some of these sites have been added since the last rev of this
> document.
Kim Keller
> Mainly aero and heat loads, due to the way off-nominal entry conditions.
Awww, c'mon Jorge. I figured that. I was hoping you'd give me some more
detail.
RedStorm63
>(53.6*-63.5*)
Where exactly is this in Myrtle Beach, are they still using the Air Force Base
there considering it's been closed down for a few years?
Kim Keller
"RedStorm63" <redst...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20001207212547...@ng-cg1.aol.com...
Didn't the air base go commercial? That was my understanding. Or, perhaps
the list needs revision - it is a few years old.
RedStorm63
don't think anything has come to fruition, last time I was there in May, the
talk was turning it into a mall of some sort, but the runway was still there,
and I do believe that the Blue Angels were using it for a show that weekend.