aleigh
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- Phoenix, AZ & Seattle, WA
One of the early photo spy satellite programs, Corona, resulted in the construction of a (more or less) 16×16 mile grid of cement crosses. I expect few people know the real technical details but the popular story is that the satellites used the crosses in order to focus and orient their cameras. The grid is encoded in such a way with extra crosses that direction might be ascertained. Each of the crosses bears a survey marker and a weird manhole cover over a small pit with nothing in it. There are rumors floating around that these were for the installation of some kind of laser or light system for night use, but, nobody really seems to know.
There are satellite targets all over – including some in WA – but this is quasi unique, one for the scale of the system, and another because it’s intermixed with ordinary private and public lands. The crosses were created in the open and the land leased for the government, but the purpose remained hidden for many years. Many remain from that era and are easy to find today, although some are quite off the beaten path.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adventioneering/albums/72157665575950410
There are satellite targets all over – including some in WA – but this is quasi unique, one for the scale of the system, and another because it’s intermixed with ordinary private and public lands. The crosses were created in the open and the land leased for the government, but the purpose remained hidden for many years. Many remain from that era and are easy to find today, although some are quite off the beaten path.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/adventioneering/albums/72157665575950410