Originally Posted by
chevvron
Absolute rubbish….
Shuttle standby landing sites were initially at Banjul (The Gambia) and later Torrejon (Spain). Shuttle launch trajectories would have come nowhere near the UK.
There were quite a few potential Transatlantic (TAL) abort sites in addition to the two above, it all depended on launch azimuth and a few other variables.
Mostly the Shuttle went for relatively low inclination orbits, around about 28 degrees and in that case you are right, those launches wouldn’t have come near the UK.
OTOH the shuttle did occasionally launch into significantly higher inclination orbits, e.g. the ones needed serve the ISS were up at around 52 degrees and those could mean the Shuttle tracking close to the Uk, though preferred landing sites were a bit further south, places such as Istres-Le Tube.
For at least one mission RAF Fairford was designated and prepared as a potential landing site in the event of a Trans-Atlantic Orbit, I never heard of Greenham being in the frame.
Shuttle Abort Sites