NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is seeking new ways to use the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) for current and future spaceflight mission support through a Request for Information, or RFI.
Kennedy wants to identify potential industry interest in the operation and maintenance of the SLF, modifying it into a multipurpose launch and landing facility supporting a wide range of space and aerospace customers. With NASA’s transition from the Space Shuttle Program to future commercial and government mission activities, the facility currently is underutilized.
The SLF first opened for flights in 1976 and was specially designed for returning shuttles to Kennedy. The concrete runway is 15,000 feet long and 300 feet wide. The SLF is capable of handling all types and sizes of aircraft and is especially suited for very large and very heavy transport craft.
Kennedy may enter into an agreement in which a partner would operate and maintain the SLF at the partner’s expense. In the RFI, Kennedy seeks concepts for how customers would use and maintain the facility in order to make an agreement feasible.
In cases where Kennedy facilities, such as the SLF, are not being fully used by the agency, NASA has the option of establishing partnerships with external organizations. Such arrangements must benefit the U.S. government and NASA.
For information about this RFI, visit: NASA Request for Information: KSC Shuttle Landing Facility
For more information about NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy
