The Control Point - The Control Point in Yucca Pass is the brain -- the nerve center ~- of every test operation at NTS, . From it radiate the myriad communication lines and channels required for receiving information and trensmitting orders to control a complex operation. There are long distance telephone lines and teletype circuits to receive information from and provide information to Washington, Los Alamos, Albuquerque, Berkeley and elsewhere. Into it feeds weather information from a Class A Weather Center in Mercury which receives information from all over the world through Air Weather Service networks, as well as up-tothe-minute information on local conditions through stations manned specifically for these operations. Beyond this control of the operation there is also the control of the many experiments themselves. There are filaments to be turned on, power must be applied to many circuits, camera shutters must be opened and closed-at exact moments, ultra fast as well as normal movie cameras must be started, blast proof doors must be secured, some signal lights mst be turned on and others turned off. In static tests th: nuclear device itself must be armed and fired. These and hundreds of similar details must be taken care of without fail in proper order and at pre-determined times so that the desired information can be obtained, This control of experiments is provided by a device known as a "sequence timer" located in the control room. The device sends out electric signals which activate relays to perform the above tasks; it starts clocks to measure the times at which these signals are transmitted; it measures the time of the detonation; and it even starts itself ~- in case of an air drop -- when the bomb leaves the dropping aircraft. All instruments closer than seven miles tc a shot are remotely operated. A few instruments are completely self-contained and are activated by light or other characteristics from the nuclear explosion, but most are put into operation by time signals from the Control Room. The early time signals -- from minus an hour to five minutes -- are used primarily for such things as turning on power for electrical and other recording equipment, opening protective blinds, and closing air-conditioning vents. Later signals, coming within a few seconds of zero time, are used to start high speed recording equipment and other test instruments which are carefully programmed and require very accurate timing relative to detonation time. For instance, at minus five seconds a series of rockets may be fired to set up rocket trails for observation by high speed cameras. eS Clo SE /DOF L 7 aN E 3 %