- NASA Home
- | Centers
- | White Sands Test Facility (WSTF)
- | About WSTF
WSTF Community
- Over 100 churches and/or religious assemblies
- Over 30 hotels/motels
- Convention and banquet facilities
- A city and a university library
- Five television stations and two cable services
- Numerous radio stations airing a wide variety of programming
- Las Cruces, Albuquerque, and El Paso daily newspapers
- One psychiatric and two general hospitals
- An enclosed shopping mall
WSTF Visitor's Guide
NASA White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) has been an important part of the space program since 1963. Originally WSTF was known as the Apollo site, because it was established to support the development of the Apollo Spacecraft propulsion and power systems. The first rocket engine was tested at WSTF on Sept. 22, 1964. In 1967, the laboratories were expanded to enable extensive testing of the materials and components related to emerging spacecraft propulsion and power technology and crew safety, especially in the wake of the tragic flash fire during Apollo 1 launch pad test that took the lives of three astronauts. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon using the propulsion systems tested and qualified for human spaceflight at WSTF. Today, WSTF is a preeminent resource for testing and evaluating potentially hazardous materials, space flight components, and rocket propulsion systems. The laboratory services at WSTF are available to NASA, the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, universities, and commercial industry.
A rare snow storm blankets the Organ Mountains in white.
Nestled in the foothills of the San Andres Mountains, WSTF is just east of Las Cruces, New Mexico. This open-range high-altitude desert is a kaleidoscope of natural wonders and serves as habitat for the 90 sq.-mi. San Andres National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range also adjoins the mountain range, creating a federally protected corridor of public safety and limited access. The controlled remote property and moderate desert climate are an ideal setting for year-round testing.
WSTF has supported every U.S. human space flight from Apollo to the Shuttle Program and is preparing to support propulsion systems and materials and components testing for the Constellation Program. WSTF also operates a shuttle landing training facility, White Sands Space Harbor (WSSH), where laser-leveled runways help prepare shuttle astronauts for final approaches and landings. The site’s runways, navigational aids, and control facilities continuously stand ready as a backup shuttle landing site. As it returned from its third orbital test flight, Space Shuttle Columbia landed at White Sands Space Harbor on March 30, 1982.
Utilizing the White Sands Space Harbor backup landing site, Space Shuttle Columbia lands at WSSH in 1982.
Over the ensuing years, numerous full-scale propulsion systems for the Apollo Service Propulsion and Lunar Modules, Space Shuttle Orbiter, the International Space Station, as well as commercial and military upper stages and planetary exploration spacecraft, have been developed and qualified through exhaustive simulated mission duty cycle testing. WSTF is also evaluating upgraded or redesigned shuttle orbiter components to extend service life, enhance performance, and improve mission safety. WSTF is formally certified to perform precision cleaning and depot-level refurbishment of shuttle orbital maneuvering engines, reaction control system thrusters, and several other flight-critical propulsion system components.
WSTF was again prepared in 2003 after the Columbia disaster on February 1, when NASA requested immediate testing in support of NASA’s monumental Return to Flight effort. Within weeks, WSTF engineered a Low Velocity Test Facility to begin testing the effects of ice impacts on shuttle thermal tiles. WSTF provided additional Return to Flight support by resolving fuel valve seal extrusion concerns, evaluating the impact penetration sensor system, processing shuttle reaction control subsystem thrusters, and testing other flight essential materials.
The scientific investigation of explosion phenomena at WSTF is aimed at improving safety at launch facilities and other areas where hazardous materials are used. Using ultra high-speed instrumentation to measure the effects of exploding liquid and solid propellants, we can more precisely define safety and structural requirements for new and existing launch facilities.
Explosion from 2200 lb (1 Mg) Liquid Oxygen/Hydrogen Vertical Impact Test.
As a center of technical excellence in the fields of high-pressure oxygen systems and materials and rocket propellant safety, WSTF offers functional and performance evaluation tests; hazards/failure analyses of materials, components, and complete systems; system design evaluation and recommendations; and safety training courses and manuals.
Although WSTF is primarily responsible for supporting NASA programs, in recent years the facility has taken on the additional mission of helping industrial firms to design, test, and operate hazardous systems. A variety of tests and laboratory research and development are requested each year by all NASA Centers, the Department of Defense, other government agencies, and private industry.
Because private industry assistance is furnished on a cost-reimbursable basis, NASA is able to provide, at little or no cost to the government, a service that enhances national safety and benefits individual companies in more efficient designs and better product performance. Industry gets a bargain, too, because the cost of the service is typically modest in comparison with what it would take for the company to generate the data on its own. For example, WSTF test facilities are among the most extensive in the nation for space-simulated vacuum firings of solid and liquid rocket propulsion systems. Many companies simply do not have their own facilities, and advanced technology frequently creates a need for testing that is beyond the company’s in-house capability. In addition, the professional personnel at WSTF provide the technical expertise and support necessary to manage cost-effective, timely, and accurate testing and evaluation of materials, components, and propulsion systems.
The expertise of WSTF employees has promoted a safety culture that exemplifies the values established by government and industry standards. White Sands Test Facility has received recognition as a five-star Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) site. WSTF was the first of the NASA sites to be certified in ISO 9001 and 14001 due to employee dedication to safety and adherence to standards.
QUALITY OF LIFE
COMMUNITY IMPACT - WSTF is located in an isolated area adjacent to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) to limit the inherent test hazards of the installation on the surrounding population. An industrial area and a surrounding buffer zone comprise the site. The Environmental Protection Agency and the State of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) govern all aspects of environmental regulation at WSTF.
WSTF greatly contributes to the economy of the local area by employing residents and supporting local businesses. In addition, both NASA and contractor personnel participate in science programs with the Las Cruces schools to encourage students in scientific and technological pursuits.
Two military bases contribute to the Las Cruces economy. White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), 35-mi (56-km) east of Las Cruces, is one of the largest overland missile ranges in the world and employs 8,500 people. Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB), 60-mi (97-km) northeast of Las Cruces is headquarters for the F-117A Stealth Fighters. In addition to WSMR and HAFB, the Las Cruces economy is supported by New Mexico State University, WSTF, agricultural industry, the public school system, and retailers.
TRANSPORTATION - The El Paso International Airport, 50 mi (80 km) from Las Cruces, serves major passenger and freight airlines. Air traffic is rarely interrupted by adverse weather. The Las Cruces International Airport, 28 mi (45 km) from WSTF, is a small airport with two 7,500-ft (2,300-m) paved runways and one 6,100-ft (1,900-m) paved runway. The airport is equipped to handle any size private aircraft and has handled large aircraft, such as a C141 and a Boeing 727, although advance notice is required. A local charter service is available. Smaller airports in the El Paso and Las Cruces areas, the Santa Teresa and West Texas airports, serve private aircraft. Other public transportation to the area is by Amtrak to El Paso and commercial bus to Las Cruces. There is not any public transportation available to take passengers directly to WSTF.
Located east of Las Cruces, WSTF is six miles north of U.S. Highway 70 (NASA Road/Baylor Canyon Road Exit) on the east side of the San Andres Mountains.
Most WSTF employees live in Las Cruces, the second largest city in New Mexico and the Dona Ana County seat. Las Cruces has a population of about 66,500 within its 46 sq.-mi (120 sq.-km) land area. With a population growth rate of 8.2 percent per year, it is the eighth fastest growing city in the nation. Dona Ana County has a total population of about 146,600.
EDUCATION - The Las Cruces public school district has 20 elementary, 6 middle, and 3 high schools and 1 alternative high school with a total enrollment of about 21,700 students. A few private schools and home-schooling serve as alternatives to public education. Special education programs for the mentally, emotionally, or physically handicapped are also available.
Las Cruces is home to New Mexico State University with approximately 15,700 students, and the Dona Ana Branch Community College, which offers vocational and nontraditional adult education courses.
HOUSING - Housing is available to meet every need from apartments to mobile homes to country homes with stables. The average price of a new, 1,800 sq.-ft (170 sq.-m) three-bedroom home is $225,000. Construction is usually frame with a slab foundation and stucco or brick veneer.
OTHER SERVICES in the Las Cruces area include the following:
RECREATION - Las Cruces has playgrounds and parks with picnic areas, three golf courses, baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, and a BMX track. The city conducts sports programs for both adults and children that include baseball, softball, football, and soccer.
Nature buffs appreciate the close proximity to many national and state parks. Favorite pastimes are hiking, camping, and picnicking in the nearby southern ranges of the Rocky Mountains, which average 9,000- to 10,000-ft (2,700- to 3,100-m) high. In a day, one can travel short distances from the city to hunt, fish, snow ski, or water ski. Hot-air balloon enthusiasts find the wide-open spaces and mild weather of New Mexico ideal for frequent flights. White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, New Mexico and Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad, New Mexico attract visitors from all over the world. The unusual weather effects, rugged landscape, and colorful cultural diversity provide optimum opportunities for photography enthusiasts.
Local balloon "Cool Beans" hovers above Elephant Butte Lake near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
Popular activities include attending the horse races in nearby Ruidoso, New Mexico or the local rodeos and auto races. The basketball and football games at New Mexico State University are also crowd pleasers.
The Southern New Mexico-El Paso area hosts several ethnic festivals and arts and crafts shows every year as well as theater and musical events.
EL PASO/JUAREZ - Some WSTF employees commute from El Paso, Texas. Approximately 50-mi (80-km) south of Las Cruces, El Paso is the 22nd largest city in the U.S. El Paso has an incorporated area of 247 sq.-mi (640 sq.-km) and a population of over 554,500. Major El Paso industries and employers are the apparel, electronics, refining, food processing, and defense industries. Fort Bliss in northeast El Paso, home of the Patriot missile, contributes heavily to the El Paso economy. In the past 10 years, the local plastics industry has experienced rapid growth, as has the maquila industry, wherein foreign investors have established manufacturing facilities along the border in Mexico. Thousands of jobs were created in El Paso to support the maquila industry.
El Paso offers services and amenities typical of any large city, such as hospitals, three enclosed shopping malls, and a zoo. El Paso offers horse racing at Sunland Park, local rodeos, auto races, and air shows. Basketball and football games at the University of Texas-El Paso and the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball games are also popular.
Just across the Rio Grande from El Paso lies the fourth largest city in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez, with an estimated population of 1.5 million. Attractions there include shopping centers, greyhound racing, bull fights, restaurants, and ethnic gift shops where one can try one's bargaining skills. Spanish is helpful but not required.
NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) has been an important part of the space program since 1963. Originally WSTF was known as the Apollo site, because it was established to support the development of the Apollo Spacecraft propulsion and power systems. The first rocket engine was tested at WSTF on Sept. 22, 1964. In 1967, the laboratories were expanded to enable extensive testing of the materials and components related to emerging spacecraft propulsion and power technology and crew safety, especially in the wake of the tragic flash fire during Apollo 1 launch pad test that took the lives of three astronauts. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon using the propulsion systems tested and qualified for human spaceflight at WSTF. Today, WSTF is a preeminent resource for testing and evaluating potentially hazardous materials, space flight components, and rocket propulsion systems. The laboratory services at WSTF are available to NASA, the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, universities, and commercial industry.
Nestled in the foothills of the San Andres Mountains, WSTF is just east of Las Cruces, New Mexico. This open-range high-altitude desert is a kaleidoscope of natural wonders and serves as habitat for the 90 sq.-mi. San Andres National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range also adjoins the mountain range, creating a federally protected corridor of public safety and limited access. The controlled remote property and moderate desert climate are an ideal setting for year-round testing.
WSTF has supported every U.S. human space flight from Apollo to the Shuttle Program and is preparing to support propulsion systems and materials and components testing for the Constellation Program. WSTF also operates a shuttle landing training facility, White Sands Space Harbor (WSSH), where laser-leveled runways help prepare shuttle astronauts for final approaches and landings. The site’s runways, navigational aids, and control facilities continuously stand ready as a backup shuttle landing site. As it returned from its third orbital test flight, Space Shuttle Columbia landed at White Sands Space Harbor on March 30, 1982.
Over the ensuing years, numerous full-scale propulsion systems for the Apollo Service Propulsion and Lunar Modules, Space Shuttle Orbiter, the International Space Station, as well as commercial and military upper stages and planetary exploration spacecraft, have been developed and qualified through exhaustive simulated mission duty cycle testing. WSTF is also evaluating upgraded or redesigned shuttle orbiter components to extend service life, enhance performance, and improve mission safety. WSTF is formally certified to perform precision cleaning and depot-level refurbishment of shuttle orbital maneuvering engines, reaction control system thrusters, and several other flight-critical propulsion system components.
WSTF was again prepared in 2003 after the Columbia disaster on February 1, when NASA requested immediate testing in support of NASA’s monumental Return to Flight effort. Within weeks, WSTF engineered a Low Velocity Test Facility to begin testing the effects of ice impacts on shuttle thermal tiles. WSTF provided additional Return to Flight support by resolving fuel valve seal extrusion concerns, evaluating the impact penetration sensor system, processing shuttle reaction control subsystem thrusters, and testing other flight essential materials.
The scientific investigation of explosion phenomena at WSTF is aimed at improving safety at launch facilities and other areas where hazardous materials are used. Using ultra high-speed instrumentation to measure the effects of exploding liquid and solid propellants, we can more precisely define safety and structural requirements for new and existing launch facilities.
As a center of technical excellence in the fields of high-pressure oxygen systems and materials and rocket propellant safety, WSTF offers functional and performance evaluation tests; hazards/failure analyses of materials, components, and complete systems; system design evaluation and recommendations; and safety training courses and manuals.
Although WSTF is primarily responsible for supporting NASA programs, in recent years the facility has taken on the additional mission of helping industrial firms to design, test, and operate hazardous systems. A variety of tests and laboratory research and development are requested each year by all NASA Centers, the Department of Defense, other government agencies, and private industry.
Because private industry assistance is furnished on a cost-reimbursable basis, NASA is able to provide, at little or no cost to the government, a service that enhances national safety and benefits individual companies in more efficient designs and better product performance. Industry gets a bargain, too, because the cost of the service is typically modest in comparison with what it would take for the company to generate the data on its own. For example, WSTF test facilities are among the most extensive in the nation for space-simulated vacuum firings of solid and liquid rocket propulsion systems. Many companies simply do not have their own facilities, and advanced technology frequently creates a need for testing that is beyond the company’s in-house capability. In addition, the professional personnel at WSTF provide the technical expertise and support necessary to manage cost-effective, timely, and accurate testing and evaluation of materials, components, and propulsion systems.
The expertise of WSTF employees has promoted a safety culture that exemplifies the values established by government and industry standards. White Sands Test Facility has received recognition as a five-star Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) site. WSTF was the first of the NASA sites to be certified in ISO 9001 and 14001 due to employee dedication to safety and adherence to standards.
QUALITY OF LIFE
COMMUNITY IMPACT - WSTF is located in an isolated area adjacent to White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) to limit the inherent test hazards of the installation on the surrounding population. An industrial area and a surrounding buffer zone comprise the site. The Environmental Protection Agency and the State of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) govern all aspects of environmental regulation at WSTF.
WSTF greatly contributes to the economy of the local area by employing residents and supporting local businesses. In addition, both NASA and contractor personnel participate in science programs with the Las Cruces schools to encourage students in scientific and technological pursuits.
Two military bases contribute to the Las Cruces economy. White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), 35-mi (56-km) east of Las Cruces, is one of the largest overland missile ranges in the world and employs 8,500 people. Holloman Air Force Base (HAFB), 60-mi (97-km) northeast of Las Cruces is headquarters for the F-117A Stealth Fighters. In addition to WSMR and HAFB, the Las Cruces economy is supported by New Mexico State University, WSTF, agricultural industry, the public school system, and retailers.
TRANSPORTATION - The El Paso International Airport, 50 mi (80 km) from Las Cruces, serves major passenger and freight airlines. Air traffic is rarely interrupted by adverse weather. The Las Cruces International Airport, 28 mi (45 km) from WSTF, is a small airport with two 7,500-ft (2,300-m) paved runways and one 6,100-ft (1,900-m) paved runway. The airport is equipped to handle any size private aircraft and has handled large aircraft, such as a C141 and a Boeing 727, although advance notice is required. A local charter service is available. Smaller airports in the El Paso and Las Cruces areas, the Santa Teresa and West Texas airports, serve private aircraft. Other public transportation to the area is by Amtrak to El Paso and commercial bus to Las Cruces. There is not any public transportation available to take passengers directly to WSTF.
Located east of Las Cruces, WSTF is six miles north of U.S. Highway 70 (NASA Road/Baylor Canyon Road Exit) on the east side of the San Andres Mountains.
Most WSTF employees live in Las Cruces, the second largest city in New Mexico and the Dona Ana County seat. Las Cruces has a population of about 66,500 within its 46 sq.-mi (120 sq.-km) land area. With a population growth rate of 8.2 percent per year, it is the eighth fastest growing city in the nation. Dona Ana County has a total population of about 146,600.
EDUCATION - The Las Cruces public school district has 20 elementary, 6 middle, and 3 high schools and 1 alternative high school with a total enrollment of about 21,700 students. A few private schools and home-schooling serve as alternatives to public education. Special education programs for the mentally, emotionally, or physically handicapped are also available.
Las Cruces is home to New Mexico State University with approximately 15,700 students, and the Dona Ana Branch Community College, which offers vocational and nontraditional adult education courses.
HOUSING - Housing is available to meet every need from apartments to mobile homes to country homes with stables. The average price of a new, 1,800 sq.-ft (170 sq.-m) three-bedroom home is $225,000. Construction is usually frame with a slab foundation and stucco or brick veneer.
OTHER SERVICES in the Las Cruces area include the following:
RECREATION - Las Cruces has playgrounds and parks with picnic areas, three golf courses, baseball fields, basketball and tennis courts, and a BMX track. The city conducts sports programs for both adults and children that include baseball, softball, football, and soccer.
Nature buffs appreciate the close proximity to many national and state parks. Favorite pastimes are hiking, camping, and picnicking in the nearby southern ranges of the Rocky Mountains, which average 9,000- to 10,000-ft (2,700- to 3,100-m) high. In a day, one can travel short distances from the city to hunt, fish, snow ski, or water ski. Hot-air balloon enthusiasts find the wide-open spaces and mild weather of New Mexico ideal for frequent flights. White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, New Mexico and Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad, New Mexico attract visitors from all over the world. The unusual weather effects, rugged landscape, and colorful cultural diversity provide optimum opportunities for photography enthusiasts.
Popular activities include attending the horse races in nearby Ruidoso, New Mexico or the local rodeos and auto races. The basketball and football games at New Mexico State University are also crowd pleasers.
The Southern New Mexico-El Paso area hosts several ethnic festivals and arts and crafts shows every year as well as theater and musical events.
EL PASO/JUAREZ - Some WSTF employees commute from El Paso, Texas. Approximately 50-mi (80-km) south of Las Cruces, El Paso is the 22nd largest city in the U.S. El Paso has an incorporated area of 247 sq.-mi (640 sq.-km) and a population of over 554,500. Major El Paso industries and employers are the apparel, electronics, refining, food processing, and defense industries. Fort Bliss in northeast El Paso, home of the Patriot missile, contributes heavily to the El Paso economy. In the past 10 years, the local plastics industry has experienced rapid growth, as has the maquila industry, wherein foreign investors have established manufacturing facilities along the border in Mexico. Thousands of jobs were created in El Paso to support the maquila industry.
El Paso offers services and amenities typical of any large city, such as hospitals, three enclosed shopping malls, and a zoo. El Paso offers horse racing at Sunland Park, local rodeos, auto races, and air shows. Basketball and football games at the University of Texas-El Paso and the El Paso Diablos minor league baseball games are also popular.
Just across the Rio Grande from El Paso lies the fourth largest city in Mexico, Ciudad Juarez, with an estimated population of 1.5 million. Attractions there include shopping centers, greyhound racing, bull fights, restaurants, and ethnic gift shops where one can try one's bargaining skills. Spanish is helpful but not required.