Woomera Test Range

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History

The Woomeara Test Range, as it was formerly known, was a rocket testing facility created in the wake of the emergent Cold War split in 1947.

The range was constructed at its current location as it avoided major civilian areas and it provided for a long testing corridor. Since the early 1950s there were around 6,000 rocket launches conducted by a joint Australia-United Kingdom task force weapons and aerospace test in the far west of the WPA at EMU and TARANAKI test sites. British Blue Streek and Blue Steel missiles were launched from the site periodicaly.

During the 1950s, nuclear testing took place here when the United Kingdom conducted ground-based tests of nuclear weapons. These sites were later 'cleaned up' by the UK under a massive environmental remediation program. Various other projects were conducted to evaluate air and space capabilities.

The RAAF (the Aussie air-force) still maintains an airbase there.

Also see

1. Nevada Test and Training Range
2. Thule Air Base, Greenland

Sources

1. http://www.airforce.gov.au/RAAFBases/South-Australia/RAAF-Base-Woomera/?RAAF-C8gd7HXTkHs28T3PE17Cu06X5YWV7e0W
2. http://www.defence.gov.au/woomera/about.htm
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woomera_Test_Range