Birth of the Test Ranges, Part 3, The Air Force Western Test Range

Article

“Birth of the Test Ranges, Part 3, The Air Force Western Test Range” by David K. Stumpf
Published in Quest Volume: 28 #1 (2021)

Abstract

This third article about the early history of the United States’ three major missile test ranges discusses the creation of the Air Force Western Test Range. The facilities at Cape Canaveral were not conducive for operational test and evaluation as well as combat training launch programs for the multiplicity of U.S. military missiles. Furthermore, the highly classified WS-117L reconnaissance satellite programs needed a location for polar orbit launches. The result was the creation of Cooke/Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Citation

Stumpf, David K. “Birth of the Test Ranges, Part 3, The Air Force Western Test Range.” Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly 28, no. 1 (2021): 45-58.