Icecap Ground Zero

The Icecap Ground Zero site was constructed for a planned nuclear test that was canceled in 1992. It was a joint effort between the United States and the United Kingdom to evaluate the operability of nuclear weapons in space, and the effects that a blast would have on satellites. The cladding on the outside of the structure was added to keep the inner workings of the shot tower hidden from satellite surveillance. 

The test called for a nuclear device to be detonated 1,600 feet underground in conditions simulating an extra-terrestrial environment. A trunk of cables and gas blocks allowed data to be reported to the trailers surrounding the tower. It has sat since the early 90s at the former Nevada Test Site.

Located inside the shot tower is a heavy steel component suspended above the shaft called a "rack." The racks that held nuclear devices for line-of-sight testing were usually fabricated at Los Alamos and transported to Nevada. The device would be lowered underground for detonation. These massive trunks of cables ran to data recording instruments outside (these were the pre-fiber optic days).

The nuclear device of course isn’t here, but much of the hardware was left in situ should it ever be needed. The measuring instruments were housed in truck trailers, which also remain at their stations today. The Atomic Testing Museum in nearby Las Vegas has a great model of this same site.