Tekoi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tekoi Test Range |
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| Utah in United States of America | |
 Tekoi Test Range
Tekoi Test Range
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| Coordinates | 40°22′9″N 112°46′6″W / 40.36917°N 112.76833°W |
| Type | Rocket Motor Testing Facility |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Goshute tribe |
| Site history | |
| Built by | Hercules Inc. |
| Fate | Abandoned |
The Tekoi Rocket Test Range, or Tekoi, is a former site where solid fuel rocket motors were tested. It was run by Hercules Aerospace and is located in Utah's West Desert. This area is about 80 miles (129 km) west of Salt Lake City, Utah. Tekoi is on the Goshute tribe's Skull Valley Indian Reservation.
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What is Tekoi?
Tekoi was built in 1976. Its main purpose was to test and adjust large solid rocket motors. These motors are like powerful engines that help rockets fly into space. The company Hercules Aerospace's Utah Aerospace Division built and operated the facility.
Hercules Aerospace and Rocket Testing
Hercules Aerospace was a company that made rocket parts. They developed special fuels for these rockets. By 1990, Hercules used a small part of their leased land at Tekoi. They had about 17 people working there.
Hercules also had a much larger facility in Magna, Utah. About 3,000 people worked there, building solid fuel motors.
Famous Rockets Tested at Tekoi
Hercules designed and tested many important rocket motors at Tekoi.
- They tested parts for the Pershing II missile in 1980. These engines used special lightweight materials.
- In 1986, they tested motors for the MGM-134 Midgetman missile. These motors also used light materials and advanced fuel.
- Tekoi was even a site checked under the START I nuclear arms treaty. This treaty aimed to reduce nuclear weapons.
Changes in Ownership
Over the years, Hercules Aerospace changed hands.
- In 1995, Alliant Techsystems bought Hercules Aerospace.
- Alliant continued testing rockets, like the Delta III motor, at Tekoi in the late 1990s.
- In 2001, Alliant bought another company called Thiokol. They moved most of their rocket testing to a facility in Promontory, Utah.
- The company changed names a few more times. It became Orbital ATK in 2015, then Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems in 2018, and finally the Northrop Grumman Space Systems Group in 2020.
- Rocket boosters are still tested at the Promontory facility today.
Missile Destruction Plans
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) required the US to destroy certain missiles. There were plans to destroy these missiles at Tekoi by burning their fuel. However, due to concerns, the destruction happened at a different location in Texas.
Tekoi and the Goshute Tribe
Tekoi is located on the Goshute tribe's land. For a while, the lease from Hercules was a big part of the tribe's income. Some tribal members also worked at the facility. Around 1995, the lease was not renewed. This caused a big change for the tribe, as they lost that income and jobs.
Tekoi Today
The land where Tekoi once operated has been returned to the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.
A Filming Location
Today, the Utah Film Commission promotes Tekoi as a place for movies. They describe it as having old bunkers, watchtowers, and fences. It has a look that seems like it's from a "post-apocalyptic" world.
Drone Testing
In 2019, a company called Deseret UAS leased the site. They used it to test and show off drones. These drones were designed for things like responding to hazardous material situations.
Past Plans for the Site
There were once plans for the Tekoi site to be used for other purposes.
Nuclear Waste Storage Plans
The Goshute tribe had considered allowing a group called Private Fuel Storage to store nuclear waste at Tekoi. This waste would have come from nuclear power plants. The plan faced a lot of opposition and was eventually canceled in 2012.
Trash Disposal Site
In 2003, while the nuclear storage idea was still being discussed, the Goshutes started a trash disposal site, also known as a landfill, at Tekoi. It was fully running by 2005. Later, Waste Management of Utah bought the site in 2008.
