State Papers from 1995 released as part of the New Year reveal of confidential papers record that US officials proposed Shannon Airport as emergency landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle in 1995. The files indicate that that the Clare airport was chosen as a potential abort location should flight difficulties arise over Europe.
Zaragoza in Spain acted as the primary site for emergency landings but, In a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs on March 14, 1995, a senior official from the US embassy to Dublin said that as part of “an ongoing review of emergency planning for shuttle launches” it now needed an “additional emergency landing sit”
“If, while taking the action to abort to Zaragoza, the shuttle were to then experience additional engine failure, there would be an eight to 20-second period where insufficient power would exist to get the shuttle all the way to Zaragoza. In that event, the shuttle could attempt an emergency landing at Shannon Airport.”
United States personnel (both US government and contractor) would be dispatched to retrieve the space shuttle and foreign pay-loads.
The US embassy letter also said steps would be necessary to “safeguard the lives of the astronauts” involved, and that it would be “prepared to assume liability for damage caused” should the situation occur. The letter pointed out Ireland was required to allow these events under two international agreements.
