Capistrano Test Site, California

The Capistrano Test Site was an isolated R&D complex on 2,700 acres in the hills at the edge of Camp Pendleton, established in 1963 by TRW's Defense Space Systems Group, who operated the facility until TRW's sale to Northrop Grumman in 2002. Northrop Grumman continued to operate the site until its closure in 2011. Initially conceived to develop and test various rocket propulsion systems (including the Apollo Lunar Module Descent Engine), its purview expanded dramatically over the decades to include space-based "Star Wars" high-energy laser weapons systems in the 1980's, as well as advanced radar and satellite communication systems. The buildings have been removed in recent years, though roads, pads, and water treatment facilities remain at the site.