Arizona is making a vital contribution to space exploration

Image from AZ Big Media article

This AZ Big Media article covers the long history of Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona as “ground zero” for US space programs, and the Barringer Family Fund has supported this research since 2002. Emily Roberts writes: “ It’s well known that Arizona was basically the ground zero of the US space program back in the 1960s. Mission Control may have been in Houston, and the Apollo rockets launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, but years of training and research in the volcanic desert around Flagstaff prepped the first astronauts for the experience of walking on the moon, as well as testing much of the equipment they used.

What’s less publicized is the degree to which Arizona has remained at the heart of the space exploration and space travel sector since, playing crucial roles in both NASA-sponsored projects and the booming field of privately sponsored space travel and research. Today, both Arizona State University and the University of Arizona contribute hugely to space exploration, and the state is also home to a number of private companies heavily involved in the field. The unique qualities of the Arizona landscape also make it a natural home for some of the world’s leading observatories, as well as ongoing training and research around Meteor Crater and elsewhere.…..The Arizona desert has long been regarded as the most moon-like landscape on Earth, and for that reason has been used by NASA for training and research for over 50 years. The agency originally came to Flagstaff because of the proximity of Meteor Crater but went on to create other “crater fields” using dynamite. Thirty five miles east of the city, Meteor Crater is 4000 feet across and 700 feet deep and is still used for training purposes. Read More