Lines in the desert.

Ive searched for someone already posting on this, but I couldnt locate anything... so I'll start a thread on it.



Here we have Runway 14L32R. One of Area 51's more recent runways.
Notice a line extending from the edge of the runway.



And again, another line extending from runway 14R32L (Not the same runway). This runway has been out of use for quite some time. Its not even maintained for use in case of emergencies. Yet they felt it necessary to add whatever this is onto it.



Here is where the lines lead. We have Runway 14L23R at the top of the image, and 14R32L to the right of it.
The lines converge and form a very thick spiral ending at a point, and 14R32L has its own thinner arm extending in a more acute spiral.



Its definately NOT a road. This is the end of the thickest spiral arm. Notice the tire tracks in the desert next to it are much wider than the spiral arm itself.



This point had me for a moment, there are two areas at which the lines seem to be broken. I have my own ideas on this, but input from others would be nice.


Now to piece things together.

-These lines form the ideal path for decelerating or accelerating an object with limited workable space.

-These lines are solid and are not simply drawn on the sand. You can see that on sattelite images by the way the sand forms shadows as it rises to meet the line.

-These lines extend from both a well used runway, and a derelict runway I wouldnt trust to drive an oldsmobile over.


My opinion is, theyre testing a propulsion system. The propulsion system is most likely a system to keep an object a certain distance from the ground. This line is either a guidance path for the system, or part of the propulsion system.
Think of a monorail, the train hovers above the tracks. Well this could simply be a more advanced version of it, used to land aircraft... it would save a fortune on repairs to landing systems and airframes from the stresses of hard landings.
The line doesnt have to be above ground to land the aircraft, it just needs to be "close enough" to affect the landing aircraft.

My opinion is the whole system was just below ground, but with wind corrosion on the desert, the sand was soon blown away from the line.

As I was saying, this shape is perfect for decelerating an object with limited space to work with.

What I dont understand, is why it abruptly ends. I mean... where are you supposed to park once you land? lol.

Sorry guys, photobucket minimised all the images, anyone want to try posting them? Just use Google Earth.

This feature is the Abort Circle (known locally as "The Hook" according to a former Red Hats commander and long-time Area 51 test pilot).

It was originally added to the emergency overrun extension from the old Runway 14-32 in 1960. If a pilot ran out of asphalt airstrip, he could turn off onto the Hook and roll out across the lakebed. (The aforementioned test pilot actually had to use it once.)

When the new runway (14L/32R) was built in 1991, it didn't include the paved overrun. An overrun line to the Hook was marked on the lakebed surface instead.