China Lake designated historical site
By Staff Reporter
Published: Wednesday, May 3, 2006 4:31 PM
CDT
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The plaque signifying China Lake as a Historic Aerospace Site by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. DAILY INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY JOHN V. CIANI |
JOHN V. CIANI/jciani@ridgecrestca.com
Joining
places like Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Johnson Space Center in
Houston, Texas and Tranquility Base on the moon, the China Lake
Naval Ordnance Test Station was designated an aerospace historical
site Friday.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics held a designation ceremony, which included a plaque
unveiling at the U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology.
“We're honoring the contributions China Lake made over the past
64 years,” said AIAA China Lake Section Chairman Jeff
Scott.
Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Commander
Rear Adm. Mark Skinner told the audience the plaque, which is
mounted on a granite boulder, is set near a memorial to those who
gave their lives working at China Lake.
“Work in this
business is not without risk,” he said.
China Lake has created and supported emerging technology, said
AIAA Western Region Director Bruce Wilson. He added that China Lake
served the country in war and peace.
“We have to honor this
historic place,” said Wilson. “Your work is not
forgotten.”
NOTS' beginnings date back to 1943, when the Navy
commissioned the California Institute of Technology to develop
urgently needed rockets, and adequate facilities were needed for
testing and evaluation.
Early projects include the test and evaluation of air-launched
missiles, solid propellants, fire-control systems and rocket and
guided missiles. During World War II, NOTS played a role in the
Manhattan Project as the site of Project Camel, which developed
explosive bomb components.
During the Korean War, the station
delivered the 6.5-inch tank-killing Ram rocket after only 28 days in
development and testing. China Lake also developed the Sidewinder
missile and expanded into more diverse fields such as
weather-modification and satellite-delivery systems. China Lake also
played a significant role in the development of the Polaris
missile.
