Photo resolution target on the NTS..UAV related?

Coordinates are
36°56'24.08"N 116° 4'48.89"W

Here is the latest image:


Note the line spacing is varied, as if trying to determine what some camera can resolve. The lines go horizontally and vertically, checking the resolution in each direction.

Here is a slightly older image:


Here it is without the markings:


So at some time between 10./16/2009 and 4/26/2011, the markings were added. I mentioned UAV related since the spot isn't that far away from the Aerial Operations Facility at Yucca Dry Lake.

It gets a bit stranger here since it looks like whatever the markings were painted on is elevated. It looks like there is ramp to drive onto it.

At first I was thinking some type of solar. Like they upgraded the facility. But the ramp is interesting. It could very well be a way to test optic from orbit. Like Calibration or something.

Originally posted by wrksstudios
They could have also upgraded the facility to solar. It appears to be on a roof. Ne ideas?

Damn what a great reply . I wish I had thought of that .
I'm going along with your solar panels theory

Word, but the ramp is interesting. If it was the roof with panels there really wouldn't be a ramp. But there could be. When I was Mil I saw them build some crazy stuff. lol

This is not, repeat NOT, a solar panel facility. It is a photo resolution target. Similar targets near Indian Springs and Cuddeback Dry Lake were used for calibrating the Hycon KC-1 and KS-25 cameras on the X-15 research aircraft.

www.flickr.com...

There are others of various types on the Photo Resolution Range that runs along the south edge of Rogers Dry Lake and the Precision Impact Range Area at Edwards AFB.

virtualglobetrotting.com...

www.gearthhacks.com...

reply to post by Shadowhawk


Thanks for clearing that up. I noticed the flickr shot shows the ramp. I can think of two reasons why they do this. One, if you elevate the target a bit, then it is less likely to get debris on it. Two, if the target is elevated, it will be above the ground level turbulent air, which has thermal distortion.

There is a paper published by the Tonopah Test Range where they evaluated several schemes to improve the resolution of their optical tracking gear. The best scheme was simply to elevate it so as to avoid the turbulent air at ground level.

I doubt the NTS needs this target, so it is most likely for recon evaluation. Since the DOE tries to limit flights over their airspace, I think that makes it more likely to be a target for the UAVs using the AOF.

The small number "10" seen in the image is the location that the DOE SORD group indicates is a weather station. This could be handy in the target evaluation since they know the weather conditions on the ground at the time the target is photographed.