Mellan Airstrip
| USAF Tonopah Test Range | |
|---|---|
| Nevada | |
Tonopah airbase and the surrounding test range (composite NASA Landsat-7 image)
|
|
| Coordinates | 37°47′N 116°46′W / 37.78°N 116.77°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | United States Department of Energy |
| Controlled by | DOE, USAF,DoD, NNSA and other Government Agencies |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1957 |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
Classified |
| Past commanders |
Brian T. Adkins |
| Occupants |
 412th Test Wing
|
Tonopah Test Range (TTR), is a restricted military installation located about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. It is part of the northern fringe of the Nellis Range, measuring 625 sq mi (1,620 km2). Tonopah Test Range is located about 70 miles (110 km) northwest of Groom Dry Lake, the home of the Area 51 facility. Like the Groom Lake facility, Tonopah is a site of interest to conspiracy theorists, mostly for its use of experimental and classified aircraft. As such, it is not the focus of alien enthusiasts, unlike its neighbor. It is currently used for nuclear weapons stockpile reliability testing, research and development of fusing and firing systems, and testing nuclear weapon delivery systems. The airspace comprises restricted area R-4809 of the Nevada Test and Training Range and is often used for military training.
The Tonopah Test Range is owned by the United States Department of Energy and is managed by Sandia National Laboratories, a division of Lockheed-Martin, which operates the Tonopah Test Range under an Air Force permit with the National Nuclear Security Administration. The range is part of the Great Basin Desert and lies mostly within the Cactus Flat valley, consisting of horst and graben geology. It is flanked by the Cactus Range hills to the west and the Kawich Range to the east, which is home of Silverbow, one of the largest mining ghost towns in Nevada. The vegetation consists mostly of black sagebrush and creosote bush. It holds a sizable wild horse and burro population, closely monitored by the Bureau of Land Management. Common denizens of the TTR include the gray fox, pronghorn, coyote, and mule deer, along with the native birds sage thrasher, sage grouse, and sage sparrow.
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