In Colorado – and across North America – where's the best place to keep a watch on the skies? Turns out, it’s deep inside Cheyenne Mountain, on the edge of Colorado Springs.
For years home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, officially it is the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, now an installation of the Space Force. Excavation of the cavernous space began in 1961. Inside the 5-acre bunker,11 multistory buildings, all sit on giant quake-dampening springs, accessed by tunnels with 25-ton blast doors. For more than 50 years Crews there have monitored American and Canadian airspace for incoming missiles and other threats. And NORAD has another annual mission: tracking the movement of Santa Claus across the globe every Christmas Eve. As the motto of the command puts it, "We have the watch."
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
