White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in southern New Mexico, at nearly 8,300 square km, is one of the largest military installation in the United States. It is primarily a test range with the main function of supporting missile development and test programs for the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), other government agencies and private industry. Like most large military installations in the West, White Sands was created during World War II, officially established on July 9, 1945, one week before the world's first nuclear explosion, the Trinity test. Over the years, most of the missile systems in the U.S. arsenal were tested at WSMR, including the V-2, Nike, Viking, Corporal, Lance and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.

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