[sci.space.shuttle] Edwards runways

belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) (05/16/89)

In article <781@ivucsb.UUCP>, todd@ivucsb.UUCP (Todd Day) writes:

> I'm kinda curious about what runways are what, so I'm going to draw a
> crude map:
                                          \  
 					|     \	|		
 		     			|      	|\		
 					|	|   \    	
 				   \   	|  22	|      \
 	                 	      \ +-------+         \
 					 \                   \
                                           \                   \ 
 					   ^   \                   \
 					   ^	  \		
 					   ^         \       17
 					   ^            \
 		about half-a-mile          ^   path of     \
 					   ^   shuttle
 					   ^                    -->N (roughly)

> What I want to know is, where is runway 17? 

  I have added the rough position of runway 17, in relation to 22, onto the 
map.  I also removed the "various buildings" to show that this runway begins 
out on the lake bed. The north arrow on the map is actually pointing to a 
heading of about 330. Runway 17 runs almost due north-south. (magnetic north,
that is)
  The viewing site is in the same place no matter what runway is used. The 
orbiter enters Edwards airspace from the north-west, crosses over the lake bed,
does a left bank and lines up with the appropriate runway. There is a huge
heading alignment circle on the lake bed used for this. There are markings
for the runway on the lake bed, but the public is too far away to see them.

phil@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Phil Ritchey) (05/18/89)

Another clue is the runway nunber.

22 means 220 degrees, 17 means 170 degrees

Phil