Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Military air base and research facility in Ridgecrest, United States
The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake is an air base and research center in California that spreads across a vast desert landscape north of Ridgecrest. The facility has several runways and testing grounds surrounded by bare mountains and plains.
The Navy founded the base in 1943 during World War Two as a testing station for rockets and aircraft weapons. After the war ended, the site grew into one of the key centers for developing aviation technology.
The grounds preserve more than 100,000 rock carvings created by the Coso people several thousand years ago in the desert cliffs. The site is considered one of the most important collections of rock art in North America.
The base is a restricted military area and is not open to the public. The visitor center at the main gate offers limited insight into the history of the site by appointment only.
The grounds sit above an active geothermal field that provides energy for the facility and also contributes to the power grid of the region. The hot spring also feeds natural pools in the nearby China Lake Basin.
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