The first landing at the SLF was for mission STS-41B in 1984 landings were suspended at the site following brake damage and a blown tire during the STS-51D landing in 1985, and resumed in 1990. It is designated Runway 15 or 33, depending on the direction of use. The Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida has a single 15,000-foot ( Template:Convert/LoffAonSon) concrete runway, 15/33.
The Space Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, April 2001 Kennedy Space Center Main article: Shuttle Landing Facility
Space shuttle landings were intended to regularly take place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California for Department of Defense missions launched from the site, but none occurred due to the cancellation of all launches from Vandenberg. Various international landing sites were also available in the event of a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) scenario, as well as other sites in the United States and Canada in case of an East Coast Abort Landing (ECAL) situation. No space shuttle landed on a dry lakebed runway after 1991. Landings also occurred at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and one took place at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The prime landing site was the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a purpose-built landing strip. Each site included runways of sufficient length to provide adequate distance for the slowing-down of a returning spacecraft.
Three locations in the United States were used as landing sites for the Space Shuttle system.