A former Space Shuttle runway is getting a green makeover. Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is providing 12,000 tons of fly ash to repair a deteriorating concrete runway that has seen some of the worlds most famous pilots and astronauts. Edwards Air Force Base, located 110 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is home to the Air Force Flight Test Centre and has been the site of numerous Space Shuttle landings. However, after more than 50 years of record-breaking use, the runway is starting to deteriorate. A new 15,000-foot main runway is being built with concrete made with fly ash sold from Four Corners to Salt River Materials Group, APS longstanding fly ash marketing partner. Construction began on the runway in January and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 11 km due east of Rosamond. An airbase since 1933, Edwards has long been a home for flight research and testing and has subsequently been home to many of aviation's most important and daring research flights. It is currently operated by the 95th Air Base Wing.