Misplaced Pages

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73-509: Like the Groom Lake facility, Tonopah is a site of interest to conspiracy theorists, mostly for its use of experimental and classified aircraft. As such, it is not generally the focus of alien enthusiasts, unlike its neighbor. It is currently used for nuclear weapons stockpile reliability testing, research and development of fusing and firing systems, and testing nuclear weapon delivery systems. The airspace comprises restricted area R-4809 of

146-667: A Cold War camp that became Mercury , Nevada. The Tonopah Test Range , within the boundaries of the NTTR (e.g., "Nellis Range 75" ) includes Antelope Lake , Radar Hill, and the "Cactus, Antelope, and Silverbow Springs ". The Northern Range includes the Tolicha Peak Electronic Combat Range (TPECR, e.g., Range 76 targets 76–03, -05, -11, & -14) and Tonopah Electronic Combat Range (the Wildhorse Management Area encircled by

219-687: A de-icing agent. The Bureau of Land Management investigated in November 1988, and imposed remedial actions and assessed a $ 15,000 fine. In 2007 over concerns that the chemical was infiltrating groundwater, a whistleblower unsuccessfully attempted to get the Environmental Protection Agency to intervene, leading to an August 2007 inquiry with the Department of the Interior by Senator Harry Reid . The TTR has also been

292-676: A nuclear test site on December 12, 1950. The land was ideal for training aerial gunners because the land was far from people and contained dry lake beds, which worked perfectly for target practices. A 680-square mile section of the Nellis Air Force Gunnery and Bombing Range was designated the Nevada Proving Grounds (NPG) on December 18, 1950. The new NPG included " Yucca and Frenchman Flats , Paiute and Rainier Mesas ". The presidential order also established Groom Lake Field ( colloq. "The Pig Farm") at

365-492: A proving ground and flight test area, for aircraft control and warning, and for Blue Flag, Green Flag, and Red Flag exercises . The Nevada Test and Training Range land area is mostly Central Basin and Range ecoregion ( cf. southernmost portion in the Mojave Desert ), and smaller ecoregions (e.g., Tonopah Basin , Tonopah Playa, & Bald Mountain biomes) are within the area of numerous basin and range landforms of

438-506: A two-lane bowling alley, a barbecue pad, and an ATM. There is also an athletic track, tennis courts, and softball fields. Just outside Mancamp a small civilian compound existed, but was mostly dismantled by 2000. Google Earth imagery indicated that Mancamp's streets were renovated sometime between 2003 and 2007. Operations by Sandia are controlled at the TTR Operations Control Center ( Area 3 ), just southeast of

511-514: Is focused on a particular energy challenge. Two of the eight hubs are included in the EERE budget and will focus on integrating smart materials, designs, and systems into buildings to better conserve energy and on designing and discovering new concepts and materials needed to convert solar energy into electricity. Another two hubs, included in the DOE Office of Science budget, were created to tackle

584-678: Is one of two military training areas at the Nellis Air Force Base Complex in Nevada and used by the United States Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base . The NTTR land area includes a "simulated Integrated Air Defense System", several individual ranges with 1200 targets, and 4 remote communication sites. The current NTTR area and the range's former areas have been used for aerial gunnery and bombing, for nuclear tests , as

657-589: Is under the Nellis "Area A" airspace that is a Military Operations Area (MOA). The Formerly Used Defense Site north and northeast of the NTTR with " Stone Cabin , Hot Creek , Railroad , Tikaboo , and Sand Spring valleys" is a "former portion of the Tonopah Bombing Range", includes "Permit Required Confined space", and prohibits vehicles in "suspected ordnance impact area[s]" (e.g., "green markings" indicate chemical agents). Most areas adjacent to

730-563: The 2010 U.S. Census . In 2011, the 98th Range Wing was redesignated with the same name as the range (NTTR). In June 2019, a joke Facebook event was created rallying the public to storm the training range on September 20 that year. Over two million people responded as "going" to the event, with another 1.5 million "interested". The county commission chairman estimated that approximately 40,000 people would turn up on 20 September. On July 10, speaking with The Washington Post , Air Force spokeswoman Laura McAndrews said officials were aware of

803-575: The Code of Federal Regulations , in Title 10: Energy : The official seal of the Department of Energy "includes a green shield bisected by a gold-colored lightning bolt, on which is emblazoned a gold-colored symbolic sun , atom , oil derrick , windmill , and dynamo . It is crested by the white head of an eagle , atop a white rope. Both appear on a blue field surrounded by concentric circles in which

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876-646: The Department of Energy Organization Act , which established the Department of Energy. The new agency, which began operations on October 1, 1977, consolidated the Federal Energy Administration , the Energy Research and Development Administration , the Federal Power Commission , and programs of various other agencies. Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger , who served under Presidents Nixon and Ford during

949-631: The MQ-9 Reaper , RQ-170 , and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in addition to other aircraft. The testing of aircraft is executed under the direction of the 53rd Wing Test and Evaluation Group based at Nellis. Nevada Test and Training Range 2001: 98th Range Wing : 99th Range Group 1948: ATC Flying Division c.  1945 : Fifteenth Air Force 1942: Fourth Air Force detachment Download coordinates as: The Nevada Test and Training Range ( NTTR )

1022-547: The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 until 1982, when the type proved too dangerous to continue flying. Between July 1979 and its final sortie in March 1988, 5,930 aircrew were exposed to Constant Peg. F-117s of the 4450th Tactical Group operated from Tonopah in secret from 1982 through 1989 while the program was still classified. During this period Mancamp was connected to the airfield by shuttle bus service, while

1095-803: The Nevada Test and Training Range and is often used for military training. The Tonopah Test Range is owned by the United States Department of Energy and is managed by Sandia National Laboratories , a division of Honeywell International , which operates the Tonopah Test Range under an Air Force permit with the National Nuclear Security Administration . The range is part of the Great Basin Desert and lies mostly within

1168-483: The Vietnam War , was appointed as the first secretary. President Carter proposed the Department of Energy with the goal of promoting energy conservation and energy independence, and developing alternative sources of energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels . With international energy's future uncertain for America, Carter acted quickly to have the department come into action the first year of his presidency. This

1241-666: The atomic bomb under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers . After the war, in 1946, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was created to control the future of the project. The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 also created the framework for the first National Laboratories . Among other nuclear projects, the AEC produced fabricated uranium fuel cores at locations such as Fernald Feed Materials Production Center in Cincinnati, Ohio . The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 split

1314-572: The earth itself, and gold represents the creation of energy in the release of natural forces. By invoking this symbolism , the color scheme represents the Nation's commitment to meet its energy needs in a manner consistent with the preservation of the natural environment ." The Department of Energy operates a system of national laboratories and technical facilities for research and development, as follows: Other major DOE facilities include: Airstrip: The DOE/ NNSA has federal responsibility for

1387-726: The president of the United States and is a member of the Cabinet . The current secretary of energy is Jennifer Granholm , who has served in the position since February 2021. The department's headquarters are in southwestern Washington, D.C. , in the James V. Forrestal Building , with additional offices in Germantown, Maryland . In 1942, during World War II , the United States started the Manhattan Project to develop

1460-603: The " Salton Sea Test Base " and the Yucca Flat site, and in 1957 Sandia Laboratories began TTR operations at Cactus Flat . From 1956 to 1969–70, the Las Vegas Air Force Station and Tonopah Air Force Stations provided Reno Air Defense Sector radar tracks and in 1957, the "instrumented AEC range at Tonopah" was used by NAS Fallon and Point Mugu pilots. "A safety experiment ( Project 57 No. 1) with ground zero coordinates of N 932646, E 688515

1533-472: The 1950s, weapons design research had been conducted largely at the Salton Sea testing base, but haze problems forced the Department of Energy to seek another location. The Tonopah Test Range was withdrawn from public use in 1956, and testing began in 1957 for United States Department of Energy weapons programs. For most of its life, the range was administered by Sandia National Laboratories . In 2008,

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1606-476: The 1960s, upgraded to a 5,000-foot (1,500 m) concrete runway. A US Air Force assessment published in 2000 indicated it was a minimally adequate airfield which was used to support tactical C-130 and C-17 training. About six miles (10 km) north of the airfield is a large housing area called Mancamp. It contains about 50 twin-level dormitories. A recreation center, houses, a bar, a library, game room, weight room, Olympic size indoor pool, racquetball courts,

1679-660: The AEC, and after the 1962 RBS Express #2 near the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot was used for Radar Bomb Scoring of flights over the range, the Hawthorne Bomb Plot radar station operated in Babbitt until c.  1993 . Operation Roller Coaster was a TTR nuclear test series in May and June 1963 and in November and December 1965, B-52 Combat Skyspot testing at the range used

1752-723: The Cactus Flat valley, consisting of horst and graben geology. It is flanked by the Cactus Peak hills to the west and the Kawich Peak to the east, which is home of Silverbow , one of the largest mining ghost towns in Nevada. The vegetation consists mostly of black sagebrush and creosote bush . It holds a sizable wild horse and burro population, closely monitored by the Bureau of Land Management . Common denizens of

1825-475: The DOE to issue loan guarantees to eligible projects that "avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases " and "employ new or significantly improved technologies as compared to technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee is issued". In loan guarantees, a conditional commitment requires to meet an equity commitment, as well as other conditions, before

1898-459: The Department of Energy's handling of his case. Republican senators thought that an independent agency should be in charge of nuclear weapons and security issues, rather than the DOE. All but one of the 59 charges against Lee were eventually dropped because the investigation proved the plans the Chinese obtained could not have come from Lee. Lee filed suit and won a $ 1.6 million settlement against

1971-610: The Key Pittman WMA ) and "under MOA airspace". " Tertiary age " lava flows formed 5 erupted groups in the area, and block faulting such as the Siebert and Mizpah faults formed the ranges and valleys. Precambrian and Paleozoic marine sediments form an "almost uniform thickness of 40,000 feet", and surface geology is "typically the Cenozoic Era continental deposits and some Paleogene volcanic rocks". Located at

2044-619: The Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range and the Tonopah Bombing and Gunnery Range. On June 28, 1949, the "Gunnery Range of the Tonopah Air Force Base " had about 30 sq mi (78 km ) and after the 1949 Las Vegas Air Force Base was renamed on April 30, 1950, a United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) committee selected the " Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range " [ sic ] for

2117-443: The NTTR are managed by the Bureau of Land Management for limited non-residential use such as grazing. Temporary sites, e.g., for Patriot Communications Exercises (about "21 days per exercise"), are in the " ADA activity area" east of the NTTR with 13 empty "500 feet by 500 feet" sites for mobile electronic equipment on BLM land in the " Sand Springs Valley , Coal Valley , Delamar Valley , and Dry Lake Valley " ("general area" of

2190-532: The NTTR. The NTTR is at the serpentine section of the Great Basin Divide in southern Nevada and uses numerous landforms for military operations, e.g., Groom Lake near the northeast NTTR border is the airstrip for Area 51 , the 1955 Site II west of the lake's WWII field. Tolicha Peak and Point Bravo are the sites of for electronic combat ranges, and the Mercury Valley is the eponym for

2263-569: The National Nuclear Security Administration proposed to move its facilities on the Tonopah Test Range to White Sands Missile Range , a move that local and state politicians say would cost the area jobs and lost revenue. From 1979 to 1988, Tonopah hosted a MiG air combat training program code named Constant Peg. The brainchild of Colonel Gail Peck , the program was run by the 4477th Test & Evaluation Squadron , "Red Eagles", and allowed American aircrews

Tonopah Test Range - Misplaced Pages Continue

2336-684: The Northern Range is not part of the NTTR.) The Eastman Airfield Target (Target 76–14, Korean Airfield, 37°22′N 116°50′W  /  37.367°N 116.833°W  / 37.367; -116.833  ( Eastman Airfield Target 76-14 ) ) is a Range 76 target 4.3 miles (6.9 km) northwest of the TPECR. The target has a northeastern taxiway loop, characteristic for the former Soviet Air Force base at Jüterbog Airfield in East Germany , and three ramps in front of hangars on

2409-462: The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy would be lowered to $ 696 million under the plan, down from $ 1.3 billion in fiscal year 2017. Overall, the department's energy and related programs would be cut by $ 1.9 billion. Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) are contracts under which a contractor designs, constructs, and obtains the necessary financing for an energy savings project, and

2482-732: The Southern Range that was withdrawn from the Desert National Wildlife Range is co-managed by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service . In addition to Nellis AFB , areas outside of the current NTTR land area are used for related activities, e.g., about 1,107 sq mi (2,870 km ) of the former military range land (relinquished 1942, e.g. ranges 46–56, and c.  1953 )

2555-649: The TTR include the gray fox , pronghorn , coyote , and mule deer , along with the native birds sage thrasher , sage grouse , and sage sparrow . One of the primary facilities on the TTR is a large airfield ( Area 10 ), consisting of a 12,000-foot (3,700 m) runway and numerous hangars. About five minor abandoned airfields exist throughout the TTR which were primarily used during World War II by units based at Tonopah Army Air Field (now serving as Tonopah's municipal airport). Only Mellan Airstrip , 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Tonopah Test Range Airport, survived past

2628-578: The WWII installation. The first NPG nuclear test was for Operation Ranger on January 27, 1951, and the Indian Springs main facility (renamed an Air Force Base in 1951) supported NPG testing after ARDC General Order No. 39 on July 16, 1952. The NPG Camp Desert Rock "military support facility" (now the private Desert Rock Airport ) operated September 1951-October 7, 1957 (electricity was from AEC's Camp Mercury ) and closed June 18, 1964. In 1955 on

2701-412: The airfield in turn was connected to Nellis Air Force Base by between five and twenty Key Air Boeing 727 and/or Boeing 737 flights per day from Nellis to Tonopah. The airfield was also serviced by one or two Janet Boeing 737 flights daily, which were presumably from McCarran International Airport and served Sandia National Laboratories employees. In early 1991, Key Air lost the contract and

2774-540: The area is highly discouraged". United States Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy ( DOE ) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production , the research and development of nuclear power , the military's nuclear weapons program , nuclear reactor production for the United States Navy , energy-related research, and energy conservation . The DOE

2847-477: The area of South Antelope Lake was used for two Tomahawk missile targets. NAFR range operations transferred to the 99th Range Group at the end of the Cold War (the range received various Radar Bomb Scoring electronic systems from Strategic Training Ranges , e.g., Nellis had 5 AN/MSQ-77s by 1994). In 1999 the range's land withdrawal was renewed and the unused portion of the original Tonopah Bombing Range

2920-567: The challenges of devising advanced methods of energy storage and creating fuels directly from sunlight without the use of plants or microbes. Yet another hub was made to develop "smart" materials to allow the electrical grid to adapt and respond to changing conditions. In 2012, the DOE awarded $ 120 million to the Ames Laboratory to start a new EIH, the Critical Materials Institute, which will focus on improving

2993-533: The department. In December 1999, the FBI was investigating how China obtained plans for a specific nuclear device. Wen Ho Lee was accused of stealing nuclear secrets from Los Alamos National Laboratory for the People's Republic of China . Federal officials, including then-Energy Secretary Bill Richardson , publicly named Lee as a suspect before he was charged with a crime. The U.S. Congress held hearings to investigate

Tonopah Test Range - Misplaced Pages Continue

3066-476: The design, testing and production of all nuclear weapons. NNSA in turn uses contractors to carry out its responsibilities at the following government owned sites: On May 7, 2009 President Barack Obama unveiled a $ 26.4 billion budget request for DOE for fiscal year (FY) 2010, including $ 2.3 billion for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). That budget aimed to substantially expand

3139-429: The development of the technologies and their link to our future capabilities. The lightning bolt represents the power of the natural forces from which energy is derived and the Nation's challenge in harnessing the forces." "The color scheme is derived from nature, symbolizing both the source of energy and the support of man's existence. The blue field represents air and water , green represents mineral resources and

3212-421: The early 20th century, the region was used primarily for mining and some grazing. Early maps from the 1930s indicated a roadway connecting the towns of Caliente and Tonopah via Rachel , which ascended Cedar Pass and crossed through the northern part of the future Tonopah Test Range. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt directed the establishment of a US Army Air Corps training range in this area. During

3285-455: The event, and issued a warning saying that the area was "an open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces", adding: "The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets". A public information officer at Nellis Air Force Base told KNPR that "any attempt to illegally access

3358-433: The federal agency makes payments over time to the contractor from the savings in the agency's utility bills. The contractor guarantees the energy improvements will generate savings, and after the contract ends, all continuing cost savings accrue to the federal agency. Energy Innovation Hubs are multi-disciplinary , meant to advance highly promising areas of energy science and technology from their early stages of research to

3431-504: The federal government and news agencies. The episode eventually led to the creation of the National Nuclear Security Administration , a semi-autonomous agency within the department. In 2001, American Solar Challenge was sponsored by the DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory . After the 2005 race, the DOE discontinued its sponsorship. Title XVII of Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes

3504-699: The loan guarantee is completed. In September 2008, the DOE, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) partnered to develop and launch the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS), an international non-governmental organization designed to provide a forum to share best practices in strengthening

3577-404: The main airfield, which houses the range safety officer, test director, and key engineers. Activities are monitored with video, high-speed cameras, and radar tracking devices. Though nuclear weapons have never been detonated on the TTR, the 1963 test Project Rollercoaster involved the destruction of four weapons, which caused some plutonium to be dispersed into the soil north of Antelope Lake. In

3650-406: The name of the agency, in gold, appears on a green background." "The eagle represents the care in planning and the purposefulness of efforts required to respond to the Nation's increasing demands for energy . The sun , atom , oil derrick , windmill , and dynamo serve as representative technologies whose enhanced development can help meet these demands. The rope represents the cohesiveness in

3723-569: The only CONUS AN/MSQ-77 developed for the Vietnam War . Planning to integrate the range with the Fallon and Hill/Wendover/Dugway ranges to create the Great Basin 's " Continental Operations Range " ended in 1975, the first year for a Nellis range Red Flag exercise . The Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR) was used to bury wreckage of the 1978 Groom Lake & 1979 NAFR Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk crashes, and additional Cold War accidents at

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3796-513: The opportunity to fly – and to fly against – the fighter aircraft of their Cold War rivals. Constant Peg was formally declassified on November 15, 2006, though it had been discussed by name in various media since the mid-1980s. At the height of the operation, the Red Eagles flew 14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s and 9 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23s (with additional airframes of both types available for cannibalization), and had also operated

3869-497: The point that the risk level will be low enough for industry to commercialize the technologies. The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) was the first DOE Energy Innovation Hub established in July 2010, for the purpose of providing advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) solutions for commercial nuclear reactors. The 2009 DOE budget includes $ 280 million to fund eight Energy Innovation Hubs, each of which

3942-474: The president, who assumes the duties of the secretary in the secretary's absence. The department also has three under secretaries, each appointed by the president, who oversee the major areas of the department's work. The president also appoints seven officials with the rank of Assistant Secretary of Energy who have line management responsibility for major organizational elements of the department. The Energy Secretary assigns their functions and duties. Excerpt from

4015-461: The range included the 1975 NAFR TR-1 crash , the 1979 Tonopah MiG-17 crash during training versus an Northrop F-5 , the 1984 Little Skull Mountain MiG-23 crash , which killed a USAF general, and the 1986 NAFR crash, which "Air Force sources" identified as an " F-19 " stealth fighter. Circa 1980, NAFR received 806L "Range Threat" systems for electronic warfare simulation and from 1983 to 1985,

4088-525: The range installations (e.g., "Area 3 Compound" and " Area 51 " for "Groom Lake Field"). The Tonopah Bombing Range was designated on federal land "withdrawn ... October 29, 1940, from the public domain" and in June 1941, the "Tonopah Gunnery and Bombing Range" was split at "37 degrees and 30 minutes" latitude into the " Tonopah General Range " and " Las Vegas General Range ". On October 28, 1941, "United States v. 1,855,720 Acres of land ..." (US Fifth District)

4161-475: The region restricted it from public access for the War Department to use. The original bombing range had been used for the 1900–1921 silver rush (e.g., Tonopah Mining District & Tonopah Manhattan Stage Route), and the region was subdivided into smaller numbered management areas (e.g., Area 2 , Area 5 , Area 11 , Area 12 , Area 25 , Area 27 , Area 52 ), which are used for names of some of

4234-431: The responsibilities of the AEC into the new Nuclear Regulatory Commission , which was charged with regulating the nuclear power industry, and the Energy Research and Development Administration , which was assigned to manage the nuclear weapon, naval reactor, and energy development programs. The 1973 oil crisis called attention to the need to consolidate energy policy. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed into law

4307-513: The security and safety of nuclear and radioactive materials and facilities. The department announced a reorganization with new names of under secretaries in 2022. The department is under the control and supervision of a United States Secretary of Energy , a political appointee of the President of the United States . The Energy Secretary is assisted in managing the department by a United States Deputy Secretary of Energy , also appointed by

4380-418: The service was taken over by American Trans Air Boeing 727 aircraft. Key Air departed directly from Nellis, AFB, and did not utilize McCarren International, as it was too far a distance from the base, and impractical. It was revealed in 2007 that during the 1980s a contractor had dumped up to 1,000 pounds of urea at a pond on the TTR, resulting in the die-off of 61 horses in 1988. The fluid had been used as

4453-597: The site of US testing of foreign-made surface-to-air missile systems. Satellite imagery confirms the US secretly acquiring the Russian made S-300PS surface-to-air missile system from an unknown supplier in order to test UAVs as well as other advanced aircraft based at nearby airbases. According to OSGEOINT , these bases include Creech Air Force Base, the Yucca Lake UAV testing facility, and Nellis Air Force Base, operating

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4526-456: The southern tip of the Great Basin tribes area, the eventual range area was crossed by the Old Spanish Trail (trade route) , was south of the Pony Express route, and was split by the 37th parallel north of the 1850 New Mexico & 1863 Arizona territories' northwest corner. In the 1930s the land had been used as an Animal Sanctuary where the Department of the Interior made it a wildlife reservation. However, in 1942 during World War II

4599-433: The southwest corner of Groom Lake, a survey team laid out the 5,000-foot (1,500 m) north–south "Site II" runway for Project AQUATONE . The 1st Lockheed U-2 (Article 341) left the Skunk Works in a C-124 Globemaster II cargo plane for the AQUATONE site in July 1955 and first flew on July 29 during a runway test. The Tonopah Test Range (TTR) land was withdrawn from public use in 1956 to replace nuclear test sites at

4672-465: The stimulus spending was in the form of grants and contracts. For fiscal year 2013, each of the operating units of the Department of Energy operated with the following budgets: In March 2018, Energy Secretary Rick Perry testified to a Senate panel about the Trump administration's DOE budget request for fiscal year 2019. The budget request prioritized nuclear security while making large cuts to energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The proposal

4745-498: The use of renewable energy sources while improving energy transmission infrastructure. It also proposed significant investments in hybrids and plug-in hybrids , smart grid technologies, and scientific research and innovation. As part of the $ 789 billion economic stimulus package in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress provided Energy with an additional $ 38.3 billion for fiscal years 2009 and 2010, adding about 75 percent to Energy's annual budgets. Most of

4818-442: The western side of the loop. The other taxiways have a similar layout to Jüterbog, although the runway is about 1,300 feet (400 m) shorter. There are two accompanying SAM sites, one 1.6 miles (2.5 km) northwest of the airfield, and one 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest just like the original. The Southern Range includes the Point Bravo Electronic Combat Range . An area of about 1,276 sq mi (3,300 km ) of

4891-411: Was a $ 500 million increase in funds over fiscal year 2017. It "promotes innovations like a new Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and gains for the Office of Fossil Energy. Investments would be made to strengthen the National Nuclear Security Administration and modernize the nuclear force, as well as in weapons activities and advanced computing." However, the budget for

4964-400: Was an extremely important issue of the time as the oil crisis was causing shortages and inflation . With the Three Mile Island accident , Carter was able to intervene with the help of the department. Through the DOE, Carter was able to make changes within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission , including improving management and procedures, since nuclear energy and weapons are responsibilities of

5037-413: Was being used for the 82d Flying Training Wing for air-to-air gunnery training, and Indian Springs AAF closed in January 1947. In June 1947 Tonopah AAF was declared excess along with its 3 auxiliary areas ( Mizpah and Butler housing terraces and Columbia Junction gasoline unloading station). The Indian Springs main facility re-opened in January 1948 and on June 13, 1949, Air Training Command merged

5110-419: Was created in 1977 in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis . It sponsors more physical science research than any other U.S. federal agency, the majority of which is conducted through its system of National Laboratories . The DOE also directs research in genomics , with the Human Genome Project originating from a DOE initiative. The department is headed by the secretary of energy , who reports directly to

5183-472: Was detonated on April 24, 1957" in "Area 13" at the northeast NTTR boundary. In 1958, the Tonopah Test Range Airport was planned with a single runway of 19,000 ft (5,800 m). In 1960, Camp Mercury was a base camp for Project 5.5 that studied nuclear detonation effect on the Northrop F-89D Scorpion (a similar Project 6.5 was for effect of nuclear detonations on the Nike Hercules missile system). A 1961 Public Land Order transferred USAF land to

5256-609: Was initiated to seize private land , and in July 1942 the Fourth Air Force Bombing and Gunnery Range Detachment from " Muroc Lake " arrived as the 1st unit. Several Nevada World War II Army Airfields were established, e.g., the August 1942 Tonopah Army Air Field in the north area and in the south, Indian Springs Auxiliary Army Airfield and its additional fields, e.g., at Area 18 ( Aux. Field#4 ) and Area 51 ( Aux. Field#1 ). In February 1943, Indian Springs AAF

5329-647: Was redesignated a Formerly Used Defense Site . In 2001, NAFR was renamed the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) and in October 2001, the range group personnel and assets for range operations transferred to the 98th Range Wing. In 2005, Indian Springs AFAF was renamed Creech Air Force Base and in 2010, the NTS was renamed the Nevada National Security Site . The NTTR had four tracts in

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