Historic Flagstaff astronaut training site restored to original condition – KAFF News – Flagstaff

Flagstaff astronaut training site is being restored to its original appearance. Northern Arizona has always played a role in space exploration. Before the first lunar rovers touched down on the moon, they first practiced on man-made craters in Flagstaff. Now added to the National Register of Historic Places, Cinder Lakes Apollo Training Field Number 1 has remained virtually untouched since it was created in July 1967. But now, the Coconino National Forest Service’s Flagstaff Ranger District has cleared more than 50 years of tree growth to restore the site. The area was originally designed to mimic the Apollo 11 lunar landing site with craters constructed with dynamite. Here, astronauts tested mobility systems such as an experimental geologic rover called “Grover.” Wood from the restoration will be available to local indigenous communities who rely on firewood to heat their homes, thanks to the nonprofit Wood for Life. The effort makes firewood more accessible to older members of those communities. In the near future, the site will again be used for analog astronaut training for the Artemis Three Mission. Artemis Three is scheduled to launch in 2026 and will send the first humans to explore the lunar south polar region. Artemis 3 training is already taking place in several areas in Northern Arizona, and the Cinder Lakes Training Site will soon be added to the list.

To watch Hava’s video package about this story, click here: