How about global thermonuclear war?

October 25, 2006 4:18 PM

Cheyenne Mountain base on phased retirement. The Cheyenne Mountain headquarters of NORAD (etc.), hardened to survive multiple thermonuclear impacts, is being all but abandoned for a nearby facility that's cheaper to maintain. My prediction: apocalyptic war movies are going to lose a lot of visual oomph. [via Schneier]
posted by grobstein (23 comments total)

Atlantis is 'nearby'?
posted by pompomtom at 4:28 PM on October 25, 2006

That explains Richard Dean Anderson's reasons for pulling out early...
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:44 PM on October 25, 2006

If it's 'all but' abandoned can we now go exploring in it? Because I really want to see how close SG1 got when depicting it.

I bet they got the gate room totally wrong.
posted by quin at 4:53 PM on October 25, 2006

I like how laid-back the interviewees are. We should all be so blase about the possiblity of a terrorist strike, and I mean that with no sarcasm. It's very realistic of them. Very common-sense. (Except, you know, it's incredibly rare these days.) Good to see.
posted by blacklite at 5:22 PM on October 25, 2006

I would really love to visit that place. Here's hoping they do tours when they have moved out!
posted by Joh at 5:23 PM on October 25, 2006

Who cares about Stargate? I want to see if Wargames got it right.
posted by mkb at 5:57 PM on October 25, 2006

This past week, I've been working on a job that is litterally a stone's throw from the parking lot outside the tunnel into NORAD.

It would be cool for them to open it back up to tours.
The antenna array is still going to be used, with all the operations moved to Peterson and Lowry AFBs.

It's hard to justify having a fully staffed (secret) underground unimpenatrable fortress in these days of IED's and box cutters.

They will maintain it just in case.
posted by shnoz-gobblin at 5:58 PM on October 25, 2006

Don't count on any tours, from grobstein's Wikipedia link: The facility is on "warm standby" and could be reactivated if needed.
posted by taosbat at 6:01 PM on October 25, 2006

If it goes on sale I am totally buying it for my not-so-secret hideout.
posted by Vindaloo at 6:18 PM on October 25, 2006

They had tours up through the late 80's. I'm sure they'll be back.

That sure would be an awesome place for a paintball game.
posted by shnoz-gobblin at 6:35 PM on October 25, 2006

I'm pretty sure it's open for tours. Actually, though, I think it was opened for tours even while it was active (see e.g. these NORAD regulations; search for "public tours;" these seem pretty clearly distinct from the orientation and "distinguished visitor" tours).

I suspect you can get tour details from the Peterson Air Force Base site (based on this Google directory listing), but I can't find anything.
posted by grobstein at 6:42 PM on October 25, 2006

goblin beat me to it
posted by grobstein at 6:43 PM on October 25, 2006

Oopsie...could we make that, "Don't count on any tours of anything you couldn't see before...?"

[I'll be quiet now.]
posted by taosbat at 6:56 PM on October 25, 2006

NORAD used to track Santa every Xmas eve and broadcast the sleighs progress over local tv. The BroadMoor Hotel mentioned is where a younger George Bush hit alcolohic rock bottom.
posted by hortense at 7:44 PM on October 25, 2006

The BroadMoor Hotel mentioned is where a younger George Bush hit alcolohic rock bottom.

The BroadMoor Hotel is were I spent my wedding night, on the 26^th anniversary of that event GWB sent my son to Iraq.

[I'll try to be quiet.]
posted by taosbat at 7:58 PM on October 25, 2006 [1 favorite]

WOPR: How about a nice game of chess?
USAF: Checkmate.
posted by rob511 at 8:04 PM on October 25, 2006

The facility will very likely make a pretty kick ass data center. Imagine the advertisement potential. ;-)

"Former NORAD facility, safe from nuclear wars, great for your valuable data! Hide your Sarbanes-Oxley stuff here!"
posted by drstein at 8:11 PM on October 25, 2006

Google will probably buy it within a week.
posted by bap98189 at 2:00 AM on October 26, 2006

Ha! My minions and white fluffy cat will be moving in once we've completed escrow. Any of you nerds want a job designing underground railways and big computers with lots of flashing lights? Bonuses given for leaving one fatal flaw which leaves the whole system vulnerable.
posted by i_cola at 5:03 AM on October 26, 2006

It would make a good vacation home for Cheney -- who also, by the way, happens to be on "warm standby."
posted by pracowity at 6:00 AM on October 26, 2006

shnoz-gobblin, actually they had tours until 9/11 then they stopped for obvious reasons. As long as it is being decommissioned they should open it again.
posted by JJ86 at 6:15 AM on October 26, 2006

"I give up - what's the obvious reason?"

Paranoia translated into absurd, useless precaution?
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 9:12 AM on October 26, 2006

Guys! They're just moving the jarheads out so they can hardwire the backbone of Internet 3 into a virtually inpenetrable, government controlled facility!

/eats a shitload of zyme
posted by Joybooth at 1:11 PM on October 26, 2006 [1 favorite]