Interesting Idea from Space Pioneers Introduction

While reading the introduction for Space Pioneers, I found it very interesting that the history of space in New Mexico seemed to be so closely tied to the history of missile testing. In fact, one of the two major players in the creation of the International Space Hall of Fame which we were introduced to had his background in missile testing. So I got curious why this is. What I found in my brief time researching was that Alamogordo, where this museum was opened, was not only the home of the White Sands Missile Range, it was the site of some of the first tests of the Manhattan Project. White Sands Missile Range was also the location of some of the first rocket tests by Jet Propulsion Laboratories. Proving how intertwined they are, the website for the museum today features a tour of the Trinity Site. Along the same thread, I discovered that the US government never tested Alamogordo for residual radiation from the nuclear tests, and this site is a rare one where no compensation was given to residents who later developed cancer or autoimmune diseases.

-Ashley Krattiger