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Comments
RSS: Comments
| Analogman @ 2006-06-21 14:47:05 | |
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If I were a betting man I'd put my money on the lines being an overlay on the image. They're just too straight and the corners are too perfectly square for the lines to actually be painted on the ground. If they were painted on the ground there'd be more variation along the edges where the paint soaked into the ground or changed elevation. |
| kjfitz @ 2006-06-21 15:07:48 | |
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I thought that too at first but look in the SW corner. There are road ruts that parallel the very edge and then around the end of some of the lines. Other lines have ruts like someone drove off the end of the line and looped around to go back up it. Staging area for the painting with ruts radiating out into the pattern here? http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&q=China&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=40.450731,93.737154&spn=0.002915,0.006781 Other odd stuff way off to the west. Could this be a target? There seems to be simulated runways to the west. |
| kjfitz @ 2006-06-21 15:10:27 | |
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Definitely military related off to the west: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&q=China&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=40.457952,93.314111&spn=0.002914,0.006781 |
| kjfitz @ 2006-06-21 15:12:04 | |
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And here is a section of white painted area covered with fabric. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&q=China&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=40.491144,93.468992&spn=0.002913,0.006781 |
| Analogman @ 2006-06-21 15:45:23 | |
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WOW!, those are some freakish facilities. They look like some sort of military test area, but I don't know what for. I think the circular thing, with the planes in the center, might be an electronics test facility, either testing radar OR possibly testing aircraft systems against EMP. The isolated location and the strange things make this almost certainly a military test facility. It looks like the bases are in the Lanzhou Military District, and Global Security.org lists five air bases in that region. Just to the east of the strange circle formation is a 10,000 ft runway, so it's set up for big cargo planes. When I get into the office tomorrow I'll have to take a look at some other sources and see if there's anything relevant. |
| kjfitz @ 2006-06-21 18:14:38 | |
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I don't know if it is related but the Chinese conducted nuclear explosions about 400km to the WNW. |
| jbottero @ 2006-06-21 18:19:36 | |
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I still think it's an overlay. Why? The lines, if painted are about 80 feet wide. But look at some of the jogs, the edges are exactly parallel without exception. So what did they do, use an 80 foot wide wheeled machine of some sort? The types of jogs would not, I think, have been allowed if it where surveyed out. It’s like running a compass and accidentally shaking your hand, both drawing points reflect the little jog. |
| jbottero @ 2006-06-21 18:23:58 | |
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Actually, after looking at Kjfitz last comment, I take it back; it's got to be painted on the ground. Must be for the benefit of space imaging, maybe satellite imaging tests… |
| kjfitz @ 2006-06-21 19:33:53 | |
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I've posted a collection of all the features I can find in this site here (GE only): http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=469501&page=0&vc=1#Post469501 |
| Analogman @ 2006-06-22 05:37:52 | |
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Here's the gouge I found. The circular area with the planes in the middle is a missile impact test target, used to test the warhead effectiveness of Chinese missiles. The planes and other objects are used to document the warhead blast effectiveness. Just to the west of the circular area are two buildings, possibly just stacked shipping containers, also used to test warhead effectiveness. This leads me to believe the fake runway and the white lines are all part of a testing area, and the lines on the ground are somehow used to measure impact and explosive effectiveness of the warhead. The fake runway may provide a target for other weapons, possibly runway denial munitions. The U.S. operates similar facilites at the Naval Weapons Station at China Lake. northeast of Los Angeles. |
| jbottero @ 2006-06-22 15:54:25 | |
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I grew up at China Lake. I wish the imaging was better... |
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