Difference between revisions of "Matagorda"

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===History===
 
===History===
Built during WW2 to support the Matagorda Bombing Range to the west. The airfield had a total of 5 paved runways, but only 2 runways are still maintained (the longest, 6/24, is 6,000').
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Built during WW2 to support the ''Matagorda Bombing Range'' to the west. The airfield had a total of 5 paved runways.
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===Pads and runways===
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*Runway 6/24, 1829 x 23 m, concrete
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*Runway 18/36,  1524 x 23 m, concrete
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Revision as of 22:07, 26 November 2012

Matagorda Island AFB

Matagorda Island AFB, Matagorda Island, TX (28.33N 96.46W) is a surface base that comes with the default Orbiter installation.

History

Built during WW2 and know as Matagorda Island AFB. The site was one of the early NASA considerations for a launch site before they settled on Cape Canaveral.

After that it was used by Deke Slayton and other former astronauts in a private space venture in the late 1960s/1970s. Several attempts to launch kerosene/liquid oxygen vehicles failed. At that time it had 6 paved runways (longest 8,000'), control tower, VOR (116.4) and NDB beacons.

Matagorda Island AFB was deactivated in 1975.


Pierce Field

Matagorda Peninsula Army Airfield (also named Matagorda Peninsula Airport, Matagorda Club Airfield or Pierce Field (72TA))(28.46N 96.29W) is also nearby.

History

Built during WW2 to support the Matagorda Bombing Range to the west. The airfield had a total of 5 paved runways.

Pads and runways

  • Runway 6/24, 1829 x 23 m, concrete
  • Runway 18/36, 1524 x 23 m, concrete

References