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OT WOB Test Track Shoot

WAY WAY off topic and a definite waste of bandwidth but amazingly cool, thought I'd share:

    Ok for those who don't know I work on Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.  We are the Stealth base so there's some neat stuff that goes on here.  Honestly I'm not allowed to talk about.... well there's nothing I know of that warrants that kind of secrecy.  I'm low ranking and know nothing.  HOWEVER!!!!!  I fix all the radios on base and one of the guys who comes in is a White Sands guy I've made a habit of talking to.  He works the High Speed Test Track.  If you have Discovery channel and you've seen the rocket launches with Colonel Stapp in the 60's when he tested ejection seats and deceleration tests and all that, this is where it happens.  Colonel Stapp was known for bursting the blood vessels in his eyes during one or more of these tests.  Well my connection told me they were doing another high speed test.  About three years ago they set the land speed record at around 6500 mph by putting a bag around the rail and filling it with Helium because it has less drag then air then firing multi stage rockets on a number of pusher sleds to accelerate at an amazing speed.  Today was another one of those tests.  No records broken here only 6000 MPH but still very cool.  I went to the viewing site to watch this "Impact" test where the projectile leaves the sled and flies into some cement walls at the end of the track.  TEN miles in about 4 seconds!!!  The projectile hit the cement and from where I was standing a mile away it still took a good 10 seconds to hear the first sonic boom.  No photography allowed unfortunately.  I'll be going to a few more of these I think.

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