Yakima Research Station SIte, Washington

The Yakima Research Station was a secretive satellite earth station operated by the National Security Agency (NSA) to intercept satellite communications. The site is located within the secure perimeter of the Army's Yakima Training Range, in the relatively radio interference-free environment of eastern Washington. It was part of the global surveillance network known as Echelon, operated by the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. It was originally built in the 1970's to communicate with the Pacific Intelsat satellite, one of several satellites used for surveillance by the Agency. The NSA, headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland, has an estimated 38,000 to 52,000 employees worldwide, furnishing intelligence to other U.S. government organizations. In 2013, the NSA announced its intention to close the Yakima Research Station, and eventually transfer its intercept functions to the Aerospace Data Facility at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. The Army, which operates the Yakima Training Range, seems to have taken over the former NSA control building, though some antennas still remain.