We took our Scout troop to the GAPA launch facility in northwestern Utah. The facility is reached by taking I-80 to exit 81, backtracking about a mile on a frontage road, then turning left. The site is snug up behind "Clean Harbor" which bills themselves as a waste management company.
What is GAPA?
In the late 50's the US Air Force tested surface-to-air missiles known as "Ground to Air Pilot-less Aircraft" build and designed by Boeing. Boeing built the GAPA launch site, which is now a Utah Historic SIte and on the national register of historic places. The site is on Bureau of Land Management land, although we did need special permission to camp there due to the historic status of the site.
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Utah Historic Site Sign
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| Launch Bunker |
The site consists of a small bunker, which has been damaged by vandals (apparently someone exploded a large charge inside, blowing out the door and shattering the windows) and what remains of a launch tower: the pad and a few bolts for the towers.
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| Launch Pad |
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| Tower Stanchion in Foreground |
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| Panoramic view: there is NOTHING out here |
Launching Rockets
We woke this morning to 28 degrees, a skiff of snow, and a stiff wind. We ended up scrubbing the launch but we had a nice trip anyhow!
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| Just a little snow |
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