|
|
|
|
Kern is often on the cutting edge of science and technology. Even today, many of the major developments in aerospace and armament take place in Kern County.
Civilian aerospace is a big part of Kern County lore. Mojave Spaceport, the first FAA-licensed spaceport in the nation, is a world-renowned civilian flight test center and is home to some of the most unique and exotic aircraft ever built. It is from this spot that SpaceShipOne made the first civilian sub-orbital flights ever, claiming the $10 million Ansari X-Prize in 2004. The Voyager, the only aircraft to round the globe on one tank of fuel, was born here, as was the White Knight reusable spacecraft. Hollywood is also a regular visitor with features like "S.W.A.T.", "Flightplan", "Speed" and "Flags of Our Fathers" using the spaceport as a filming location. Tours of the main flight line are available by reservation.
|
 |
|
|
Edwards Air Force Base, located near Mojave, is the crown jewel in the legacy of U.S. flight development. This is where the Gen. Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier and where many new aircraft continue to be tested. NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, located on the base, is the nation's top space flight research area. The prototype for the space shuttle conducted its tests here and early shuttle flights returned to earth at Edwards. Tours are available, and Edwards features one of the premiere flight test museums in the nation. Because both facilities are located on a working military installation, advance clearance and reservations are required.
|
|
The newest addition to Kern's military displays is the Col. Vernon P. Saxon Jr. Aerospace Museum, part of the Twenty Mule Team Museum at Boron. Nearly six years in the making, the museum opened in April of 2003. Memorabilia collected from throughout the high desert's "aerospace valley" is now on display.
|
Also near Boron you'll find one of the biggest and richest deposits of borax on the planet. Perched on the lip one of the world's largest open pit mines is the U.S. Borax Visitor Center, one of the best-kept secrets of the Southern California desert. Here the development of the local mining industry is celebrated.
|
|
|
|
Energy production is on display. The Tehachapi Wind Resource area is the largest wind energy producer in the world with more than 4,600 turbines. Kern County produces as much wind energy as the rest of the United States combined while the Tehachapi Wind Resource area alone produces more wind energy than Germany, Denmark or Japan. Roads criss-cross the area, making for great driving tours. Information guides are available from the Kern County Board of Trade.
Nearby is the world famous Tehachapi Loop, a favorite of railroad buffs. In the 1870's the Southern Pacific Railroad linked rails between Central and Southern California through the rugged Tehachapi Mountains. The result was a unique loop that allows long freight trains to overlap themselves, a technological miracle in its time. As many as 40 freight trains a day travel the loop, making it the busiest single-track line in the United States.
|
|
|
