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Arizona grassland may be landing site for Boeing spacecraft

Posted at 10:32 PM, Nov 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-09 00:32:15-05

WILLCOX, Ariz. (AP) - A flat desert grassland in southeastern Arizona is being considered as a potential landing site for a new reusable spacecraft.

Boeing representatives plan a public meeting Wednesday evening at the Willcox Community Center to discuss the Starliner spacecraft potentially touching down in the Willcox Playa area.

Other possible landing sites include White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Dugway Proving Ground in Utah and Edwards Air Force Base in California.

About 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Tucson, Willcox Playa is winter habitat for thousands of migratory sandhill cranes.

The Starliner capsule made a safety test flight Monday at White Sands.

The capsule is due for a test flight next month to the International Space Station with a dummy and some cargo on board.