White Sands Missile Range is the largest military installation in the United States and includes the Oscura Range, the WSMR Otera Mesa bonding range, and the 600,000-acre Fort Bliss Range Complex. The rocket range covers 3,200 square miles that spans five counties in southern New Mexico. White Sands Missile Range’s mission is missile testing and range recovery operations. Additional missions include communication satellite tracking and a launch abort flight test complex. The Missile Range was established in 1945 and the first atomic bomb was tested in July of that same year. In 2004, the White Sands Missile Range was designated a Historic Aerospace Site. The flight test complex was constructed in November 2007.

Weather in the White Sands Missile Range area tends to be warm in the summer with temperatures in the 70s and cold in the winter with the temperatures in the 40s. Annual rainfall in the area is 13 inches with the wettest month being August. June is the warmest month, and December is the coldest. Local housing options are available nearby in cities such as Las Cruces, El Paso, and Alamogordo. White Sands Missile Range supports the Army, Navy, Air Force, and DoD with testing, research and development. The range is a prime location for all live training and testing of weapons for all sections of the Armed Forces.