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| Alternative names | NASA Orbital Debris Observatory | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | U.S. Air Force | ||
| Observatory code | V29  | ||
| Location | New Mexico | ||
| Coordinates | 32°58′46″N 105°44′01″W / 32.9795°N 105.7336°W | ||
| Altitude | 2,751 m (9,026 ft) | ||
| Established | 1962 | ||
| Closed | 1982 | ||
| Telescopes | |||
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  Location of Cloudcroft Observatory | |||
 Related media on Commons | |||
Cloudcroft Observatory, (obs. code: V29) is an astronomical observatory located in the Lincoln National Forest near Cloudcroft, New Mexico, approximately 23 kilometers (14 mi) northeast of Alamogordo. It is owned by the Tzec Maun Foundation, a private astronomical organization.
Known as the Cloudcroft Electro-Optical Research Facility when it was built in 1962, it was owned by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) until 1982 and initially operated by the Air Force Avionics Laboratory (AFAL).[1] It was used as part of a project to develop new techniques for detecting satellites with electronic imaging devices, which were eventually to replace Project Space Track's Baker-Nunn photographic system.[2] From 1995 to 2002, the facility was known as the NASA Orbital Debris Observatory and hosted two telescopes funded and operated by NASA.