Edwards Air Force Base
Summary
Operating Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
Location | 🇺🇸 United States |
Status | ◉ Active |
Usage | Military only |
Year built | 1933 |
Operating Organization | US Air Force |
Units |
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Description
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation located in California, primarily within Kern County. Established in 1933 as Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range, it was later renamed Muroc Army Airfield, then Muroc Air Force Base, and finally Edwards Air Force Base in 1950, honoring World War II USAAF veteran and test pilot Capt. Glen Edwards. The base is owned by the Department of Defense and operated by the US Air Force under the Air Force Materiel Command. It is currently operational.
Edwards AFB serves as the home of the Air Force Test Center, the Air Force Test Pilot School, and NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. Its primary role is to conduct and support research and development of flight, as well as to test and evaluate aerospace systems from concept to combat. It also hosts test activities for America's commercial aerospace industry. The main unit stationed at the base is the 412th Test Wing, which plans, conducts, analyzes, and reports on all flight and ground testing of aircraft, weapons, software, and components. Associate units include the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachments 1 and 5, and the Air Force Rocket Research Laboratory.
Notable features of Edwards AFB include its proximity to Rogers Dry Lake, a large natural dry lakebed that provides an extensive landing area, making it suitable for flight testing. The base has three lighted, paved runways, with the longest being 05R/23L at 4,579.3 meters (15,024 ft) of concrete. Additionally, there are 13 other official runways on the Rogers lakebed and two on the Rosamond lakebed, offering significant landing capabilities. The base also houses the Benefield Anechoic Facility for electromagnetic and radio frequency testing, and the Air Force Flight Test Museum. Edwards AFB was a primary landing site for the Space Shuttle until 1991 and continued to serve as a backup for the program's duration.