john f. kennedy space center brevard county, florida - Environmental ...

programs, the emphasis was on cost effectiveness and reusability, as well as the construction of a
space station. The SLF Area Historic District is the site where all five orbiters originally arrived
at KSC from their assembly plant in Palmdale, California. It serves as the main landing site for
the Shuttle vehicle, or as a return from landing site when weather or other issues necessitated the
use of Edwards AFB as the landing facility. It also functions as the main organizational hub for
fire and rescue operations, security officers, safety and medical teams and other KSC support
operations during both shuttle landing and take-off, in the event of an emergency return-tolaunch-site
(RTLS) maneuver. In addition, the SLF Area Historic District supports astronaut
training. Under Criterion C, the contributing SLF (Runway) and MDD were specifically
engineered for the SSP. The 15,000-foot length of the SLF Runway, excluding the 1,000-foot
overruns at each end, was necessary due to the speed, 303 mph, with which the orbiter lands.
This length also makes the SLF Runway one of the longest runways in the world. In addition, the
thickness of the runway, 16 inches at the center and 15 inches at the sides, is necessary to
accommodate the weight of the orbiter. The contributing MDD was designed as a large crane for
lifting the orbiter. It has three hoists solely for this purpose, each rated at 50 tons, with a
combined capacity of up to 115 tons. The MDD was designed with two moveable
Access/Service Platforms, one per orbiter side, which raise and lower with the aid of two 4-ton
hoists each. These platforms enable the crew to access the orbiter/SCA connections at various
levels, depending on the operation being conducted. The MDD is one of only two permanent
structures constructed for this purpose. Therefore, the SLF Area Historic District is of
exceptional importance to the Space Shuttle Program, and because it is less than 50 years in age,
Criteria Consideration G applies.
INTEGRITY: The SLF Area Historic District maintains a high level of integrity with regards to
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.