Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum

Overview

Location: California

Also Known As: Mojave Field, Muroc Field, Muroc Army Airfield

Other Resources

National Register of Historic Places: Rogers Dry Lake was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

National Register of Historic Places web site

Navaho X-10

Early in the Navaho Program, the Navaho X-10 made taxi and flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base before continuing with flight tests from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip. The first vehicle used in the tests (serial# 19307) is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Date	Type Test	Serial #	Comment
3 September 1953	Taxi	19307
22 September 1953	Taxi	19307
24 September 1953	Taxi	19307
29 September 1953	Taxi	19307
14 October 1953	Flight	19307
5 December 1953	Flight	19307
25 February 1954	Flight	19307
31 March 1954	Flight	19307
5 May 1954	Flight	19308
4 June 1954	Flight	19308
1 July 1954	Flight	19308	Crashed
12 August 1954	Flight	19310
28 August 1954	Flight	19310
3 September 1954	Flight	19307	Wheels up landing, repaired
1 December 1954	Flight	19307
16 December 1954	Flight	19307
22 February 1955	Flight	19311	Crashed
11 March 1955	Flight	19309	Exploded on takeoff
24 March 1955	Flight	19307

Rocket Test Facility

Edwards Air Force Base has a rocket test facility along Leuhman Ridge east of the base that went into operation about 1952. The facility, also known as Edwards Rocket Base and Air Force Rocket Research Laboratory, contains rocket engine test stands and captive rocket test stands.

Many types of engines were tested there. Among them were engines for the Bomarc, Navaho, Mace, Atlas, Thor, Minuteman, Titan, Delta IV, Saturn, Space Shuttle, Bell X-1A aircraft and rocket sleds. Early rocket sleds were used to test captured V-2 rockets and later to test human reaction to high acceleration.

Minuteman I

Several captive tests of the Minuteman I missile were performed at the Edwards Air Force Base Rocket Test Facility. The tests were to determine characteristics and problems that might be associated with launching the Minuteman from an underground silo. Initial tests were of a one-third scale model of the missile and the silo.

The first one-third scale test was performed on 17 February 1959. By June 1959, a full scale silo and test vehicle were ready for further tests. The first full scale tethered captive test was performed on 15 September 1959. The test missile had a 3 second burn time.

Edwards Air Force Base Official Site Other Missile Test Sites