Edwards Air Force Base
It has the longest runway in the world with total length of 7,5 miles or 12,1 kilometers.
It is located in a desert with absolutely no obstacles around.
And the reason why it is so long?
Space shuttle used to land there! The reason why it needs such a long runway is safety.
Specifically:
The space shuttle only has one chance to land. If something goes wrong (chute (the main tool used to slow down) may not deploy, the shuttle could land farther than expected, too much speed etc.) and the runway is not long enough, the shuttle may crash, because there is no opportunity for taking off again like a plane and giving it another try.
The reasons why it cannot just try again are:
- The space shuttle, from the aerodynamic point of view, is basically just a flying brick. There is no way those tiny winglets you see on it could produce enough lift for it to take off. They are just there for support.
- The reason there are no wings is the speed at which space shuttle enters the atmosphere. It enters the atmosphere so fast that it has to orbit around the Earth for a while to slow down. Such speed would literally rip the wings off.
- Even if space shuttle had wings large enough, there is no fuel left during landing. It would not be possible to take off again.
So if a pilot manages to screw up a landing on a runway which is dedicated for space shuttles, they seriously deserve their license taken away.