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--- transportation:airports [2026/09/28 00:23] – [DIA - Chicago, IL USA] timb
+++ transportation:airports [2026/10/08 00:28] (current) – [Airports] timb
@@ Line 511: / Line 511: @@
 https://simpleflying.com/worlds-largest-airports-in-operation/
+== 7 Commercial Airports With Runways So Long They Were Originally Built To Handle Space Shuttles ==
+Jacob Johnson - Oct 5, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT
+Commercial aviation enthusiasts often marvel at the extreme length of certain runways across the globe, but few realize that some of these massive strips of asphalt share a cosmic lineage. During the multi-decade run of the space shuttle program, NASA established a critical network of emergency backup strips to protect returning orbiter crews.
+Most main landing zones remained restricted to dedicated space agency facilities, but several civilian and joint-use commercial airports were selected for their strategic locations and existing pavement dimensions. To safely land what is effectively an unpowered glider descending from orbit at high speeds without the luxury of a go-around, these locations required exceptional runway lengths and specialized overruns.
+  * 7 Lajes Air Base / Lajes Field - 12,109 Feet (3,691 m)
+  * 6 Zaragoza Airport - 12,109 Feet (3,691 m)
+  * 5 Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility - 15,000-Foot (4,572 m)
+  * 4 Torrejón Air Base - 15,803 feet (4,817 m)
+  * 3 Denver International Airport - 16,000 Feet (4,877 m)
+  * 2 Upington Airport - 16,076-Foot (4,900 m)
+  * 1 Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport - 16,404-Foot (5,000 m)
+https://simpleflying.com/7-commerical-airports-runways-so-long-originally-built-to-handle-space-shuttles/
 ===== DFW - Dallas/Ft Worth, TX USA =====