Birth of the Test Ranges, Part 1: The Join Long-Range Proving Ground

Article

“Birth of the Test Ranges, Part 1: The Join Long-Range Proving Ground” by David K. Stumpf
Published in Quest Volume: 27 #3 (2020)

Abstract

This first of three articles about the history of the United States three major missile test ranges discusses the creation of the Joint Long-Range Proving Ground, originating at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This range was set up as the result of a search in the 1940s for test facilities for US military missiles, some of which also served as space launch vehicles. At first, there was strong support for creating a missile test range in southern California, something that would require the agreement of the government of Mexico. When that permission wasn’t granted, attention swung to a range originating in Florida.

Citation

Stumpf, David K. “Birth of the Test Ranges, Part 1: The Join Long-Range Proving Ground.” Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly 27, no. 3 (2020): 49-62.