Tonopah Test Range facts for kids
Quick facts for kids USAF Tonopah Test Range |
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|---|---|
| Nevada (South) | |
Tonopah airbase and the surrounding test range (composite NASA Landsat-7 image)
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| Coordinates | 37°47′N 116°46′W / 37.78°N 116.77°W |
| Type | Test Range |
| Site information | |
| Owner | United States Department of Energy |
| Controlled by | United States Department of Energy DoE United States Air Force USAF Department Of Defense DoD National Nuclear Security Administration NNSA and other Government Agencies |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1957 |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
Classified |
| Past commanders |
Brian T. Adkins |
| Occupants |  412th Test Wing |
The Tonopah Test Range (TTR), also known as Area 52, is a secret military base in Nevada. It is used by the United States Department of Defense and the United States Department of Energy. This special place is about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. It is part of the larger Nevada Test and Training Range.
The Tonopah Test Range is about 70 miles (113 km) northwest of Area 51. Like Area 51, Tonopah is interesting to people who like mysteries. But instead of aliens, people are usually curious about the secret planes tested here. The range helps make sure nuclear weapons are safe and reliable. It also tests new weapon systems. The sky above it is a restricted area, often used for military training.
Contents
What is the Tonopah Test Range?
The United States Department of Energy owns the Tonopah Test Range. It is managed by Sandia National Laboratories. This company works under a special permit from the Air Force. The range is in the Great Basin Desert. It has hills and valleys.
The area has hills like Cactus Peak and Kawich Peak. Kawich Peak is near Silverbow, a large old mining ghost town. Plants like black sagebrush and creosote bush grow here. Many wild horses and burros live on the range. The Bureau of Land Management watches over them. Other animals include gray foxes, pronghorns, coyotes, and mule deer. Birds like the sage thrasher, sage grouse, and sage sparrow also live there.
Airfields at Tonopah
One important part of the TTR is a big airfield called Area 10. It has a very long runway, about 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) long. There are also many hangars for planes. Several smaller, old airfields are found around the TTR. These were used during World War II.
Only one of these, Mellan Airstrip, is still used today. It is about 11 miles (18 km) southeast of the main airport. This airstrip has a 5,000-foot (1,524-meter) concrete runway. The US Air Force said in 2000 that it was good enough for C-130 and C-17 training planes.
Mancamp: Where People Live
About 6 miles (10 km) north of the airfield is a large living area called Mancamp. It has about 50 dorms. There is also a recreation center, houses, a bar, a library, and a game room. You can find a weight room, an Olympic-size indoor pool, and racquetball courts. There's even a two-lane bowling alley and an ATM. Outside, there is an athletic track, tennis courts, and softball fields.
Sandia National Laboratories Operations
Sandia National Laboratories controls its work from the TTR Operations Control Center. This center is near the main airfield. It has people who make sure tests are safe. They also have test directors and engineers. They use video, fast cameras, and radar to watch everything. Nuclear weapons have never been exploded at the TTR. However, in 1963, a test called Project Rollercoaster involved destroying four weapons. This caused some plutonium to spread into the soil in one area.
History of the Test Range
In the early 1900s, this area was mostly used for mining and some animal grazing. Old maps from the 1930s show a road connecting the towns of Caliente and Tonopah. This road went through the northern part of what would become the Tonopah Test Range. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to create a training area for the US Army Air Corps here.
In the 1950s, weapon design research was done at another base. But problems with haze made the Department of Energy look for a new spot. The Tonopah Test Range was set aside for government use in 1956. Testing for United States Department of Energy weapon programs began in 1957. Sandia National Laboratories has managed the range for most of its history. In 2008, there was a plan to move some facilities to another location. Local leaders worried this would mean fewer jobs for the area.
Constant Peg: Flying Against MiGs
From 1979 to 1988, Tonopah had a secret program called Constant Peg. This program trained American pilots to fly and fight against MiG fighter jets. These were planes used by their rivals during the Cold War. Colonel Gail Peck came up with the idea. The program was run by the 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron, also known as the "Red Eagles."
Constant Peg was officially made public in 2006. At its busiest, the Red Eagles flew 14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s and 9 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23s. They also used Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s until 1982, when they became too risky to fly. Between July 1979 and March 1988, nearly 6,000 aircrew members took part in Constant Peg.
Stealth Aircraft Operations
The F-117 stealth planes of the 4450th Tactical Group operated secretly from Tonopah. This was from 1982 to 1989, while the program was still classified. During this time, shuttle buses connected Mancamp to the airfield. The airfield was also connected to Nellis Air Force Base by several flights each day. These flights used Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 planes. Other flights, likely from McCarran International Airport, brought Sandia National Laboratories employees.
Environmental Concerns
In 2007, it was found that a company had dumped a chemical called urea at a pond on the TTR in the 1980s. This chemical was used to melt ice. In 1988, 61 horses died because of it. The Bureau of Land Management looked into it and made the company clean up. They also fined them $15,000. Later, some people worried the chemical was getting into the water underground. A person tried to get the Environmental Protection Agency to help. This led to Senator Harry Reid asking questions in 2007.
Testing Foreign Missile Systems
The TTR has also been used to test missile systems made by other countries. Satellite pictures show that the US secretly got a Russian-made S-300PS surface-to-air missile system. This was used to test drones and other advanced planes. These planes include the MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-170, and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The 53rd Wing Test and Evaluation Group at Nellis Air Force Base directs these tests.
Tonopah Test Range in Popular Culture
- Area 52 has been shown on TV news channels like KLAS.
- It was also featured on The History Channel's UFO Hunters. The show suggested it might be used for very advanced aircraft, like flying saucers or UFOs.
- In the TV show Stargate SG-1, Area 52 is a secret code name for Stargate Command.
- In an episode of Total Drama World Tour, the characters visit Area 52 before going to Area 51.
- In the Warner Bros. movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck visit a secret military base called Area 52. This base stores alien life forms, technology, and government secrets. In the movie, this Area 52 is the "real" Area 51.
See also
In Spanish: Campo de pruebas de Tonopah para niños
