Eugene Spalding, age 15, of Rutland, Vt., for his question:

WHERE IS THE WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE?

The White Sands Missile Range is the largest all land rocket testing range in the United States. It is located in New Mexico. It was established in 1945 and renamed in 1958.

Operating the White Sands facilities is the United States Army. All of the armed services use the location to test and develop rockets and guided missiles.

The range covers 2,226,013 acres in south central New Mexico. The range runs north and south and is about 120 miles long. From east to west, the range measures about 40 miles.

Headquarters for the range is about 50 miles southwest of Alamogordo, NM.

Major commands on the grounds include the Army's missile test center, electronic research and development activity, and the Navy's ordnance test facility. The Air Force missile development center is on the east side of the range.