Loading map...

1973 Map of Rogers Lake North

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Rogers Lake North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Edwards Air Force Base dominates this 1970s landscape, serving as the critical hub for the Air Force Flight Test Center. The expansive dry bed of Rogers Lake provides a natural foundation for specialized aeronautical infrastructure, including a massive Compass Rose, a designated Speed Course, and a Fly-By Line. These features, alongside the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory facility in the northwest corner, underscore the area's role as a primary site for Cold War-era aerospace development and experimental aviation.

Technical installations are scattered across the desert floor, from North Base and South Base to various Tracking Station sites and an Observation Tower. Evidence of earlier transport is visible via the Old Railroad Grade and the active Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe line. Modern operations are supported by a network of specialized roads like Mercury Blvd and essential utilities such as a Pumping Station and Sewage Disposal Pond.