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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Virgin Atlantic Airways GlobalFlyer aircraft is close to touchdown at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The aircraft, piloted by Steve Fossett, is being relocated from Salina, Kan., to the Shuttle Landing Facility to begin preparations for an attempt to set a new world record for the longest flight made by any aircraft. An exact takeoff date for the record-setting flight has not been determined and is contingent on weather and jet-stream conditions. The window for the attempt opens in mid-January, making the flight possible anytime between then and the end of February. NASA agreed to let Virgin Atlantic Airways use Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility as a takeoff site. The facility use is part of a pilot program to expand runway access for non-NASA activities. KSC-06pd0040

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Virgin Atlantic Airways GlobalFlyer aircraft is close to touchdown at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The aircraft, piloted by Steve Fossett, is being relocated from Salina, Kan., to the Shuttle Landing Facility to begin preparations for an attempt to set a new world record for the longest flight made by any aircraft. An exact takeoff date for the record-setting flight has not been determined and is contingent on weather and jet-stream conditions. The window for the attempt opens in mid-January, making the flight possible anytime between then and the end of February. NASA agreed to let Virgin Atlantic Airways use Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility as a takeoff site. The facility use is part of a pilot program to expand runway access for non-NASA activities.

The Space Shuttle program was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011, administered by NASA and officially beginning in 1972. The Space Shuttle system—composed of an orbiter launched with two reusable solid rocket boosters and a disposable external fuel tank— carried up to eight astronauts and up to 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). When its mission was complete, the orbiter would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and lands as a glider. Although the concept had been explored since the late 1960s, the program formally commenced in 1972 and was the focus of NASA's manned operations after the final Apollo and Skylab flights in the mid-1970s. It started with the launch of the first shuttle Columbia on April 12, 1981, on STS-1. and finished with its last mission, STS-135 flown by Atlantis, in July 2011.

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kennedy space center virgin atlantic airways globalflyer aircraft virgin atlantic airways globalflyer aircraft touchdown nasa kennedy space center shuttle steve fossett steve fossett salina kan preparations attempt world world record flight takeoff takeoff date jet stream jet stream conditions mid january virgin atlantic airways use kennedy takeoff site facility use pilot program pilot program runway access runway access non nasa activities non nasa activities space shuttle high resolution military aircraft nasa
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Date

12/01/2006
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in collections

Space Shuttle Program

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NASA
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https://images.nasa.gov/
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Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

label_outline Explore Virgin Atlantic Airways Globalflyer Aircraft, Takeoff Date, Jet Stream Conditions

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kennedy space center virgin atlantic airways globalflyer aircraft virgin atlantic airways globalflyer aircraft touchdown nasa kennedy space center shuttle steve fossett steve fossett salina kan preparations attempt world world record flight takeoff takeoff date jet stream jet stream conditions mid january virgin atlantic airways use kennedy takeoff site facility use pilot program pilot program runway access runway access non nasa activities non nasa activities space shuttle high resolution military aircraft nasa