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World spaceports: Gran Canaria Airport

Besides the  well know Kennedy Space Center or Baikonur launch sites, there are many other such places around the world. Some of them aren't used for rocket launches, it they played an important role in space history, or are part of current aerospace activities.

As part of the development of my Orbiter stock bases upgrade add-on, I've done some research regarding this sometimes little know sites. My objective was to provide high resolution surface tiles for each base and to represent, using the stock base objects, the main structures present. I'll share here some interesting places I discovered.

Gran Canaria Airport (IATA: LPA, ICAO: GCLP), (also known as Las Palmas Airport) was an official alternative (emergency) landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle.Also nearby is the Gran Canaria drop zone, an air-launched rocket drop zone, located lat/long 27.0, -15.3.

  • Runways:
    • 03L/21R : 10,171 x 148 ft (3,100 x 45 m) — paved — lighted
    • 03R/21L : 10,171 x 148 ft (3,100 x 45 m) — paved — lighted
  • Frequencies:
    • ILS: 03L 109.900; 21R 110.700
    • APP: 120.9 MHz
    • ATIS: 118.6 MHz
    • GND: 121.7 MHz
    • TWR: 118.3 MHz 


    Gran Canaria Airport in Orbiter
    (as featured on my  Orbiter stock bases upgrade add-on)








Gran Canaria Airport on GoogleMaps


Charts, diagrams and reference photos

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