Adjacent to, and partially surrounded by the Range, is the AF Research Laboratory, or "the Rock" as it is called by workers there.



In the 1950s and 1960s, the rocket motors for the early space program were developed and tested here. Testing continues today, in varied technologies such as solar, hybrid, and the more traditional solid and liquid fueled propulsion systems.







Above, first two photos show a stand, possibly for the Atlas rocket. The entire rocket was strapped in, instrumented, and fired.


The third photo shows the Thor rocket stand, which was "climatized" to simulate the environment it would fly through.



Photo on the bottom is of the spillway, where the rocket's exhaust was vented. Tens of thousands of gallons of water per second would be pumped into this during the firing to damp the massive vibrations. Without it, the rocket would shake itself and the stand to pieces. Some firings set up seismic waves equivalent to Magnitude 5 earthquakes.

Most of these older stands have since been scrapped.

To impress upon the Base Commander how dangerous his request was to accompany EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) on bomb threat calls, a demonstration was set up.

On PB-5, a surplus Dodge six-pak was placed with a MK82 500lb bomb in its bed.
Arrayed around this at varying distances were pressure sensors and human silhouettes.
You don't have to be hit by the fireball or shrapnel from an explosion to be killed or seriously wounded.
Blast overpressure, which is a sudden increase in the air pressure, will do this, while leaving no external signs of injury.
This is what does most of the damage in conventional explosions.

Top photo shows the truck ready, with its deadly cargo in the back.

Middle photo shows the detonation, viewed from Mars Blvd on Haystack Butte, approximately 2 miles from ground zero.

Bottom photo shows the results.

A MK82 bomb weighs 500 lbs, of which less than 200 are explosive. Half of its energy is expended in bursting its case.