Easter Island May Be Shuttle Emergency Site
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United Press International
WASHINGTON — The United States and the government of Chile are discussing using Easter Island in the South Pacific as an emergency landing site for space shuttles launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., NASA announced Wednesday.
The space agency said Mataveri air field on the island is large enough and in the proper location for a shuttle to land if it experiences engine failure after blastoff. NASA has similar landing sites in Spain and Senegal for launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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