Phase 6 covers the removal of the large Coca Test Stands, the Coca hydrogen sphere, and concrete throughout the Coca Test Area.
NASA continues to make progress with its demolition program at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), a critical part of the Agency’s preparations for final cleanup. This month, the Agency is moving into the first of three phases planned for the dismantling and removal the Coca Test Stands and Control House over the next three years.
The Coca Test Stands are the last of the four remaining test stands currently slated for demolition. In 2020, NASA announced it would preserve and retain the two Alfa Test Stands and Control house and proceed with the demolition of structures in the Bravo and Coca Test Areas in accordance with the 2014 Programmatic Agreement 
, ending a 2015 deferral of the demolition of test stands. NASA completed demolition of the Bravo Test Area in 2022.
Pre-demolition is now underway, and field crews have mobilized to complete biological surveys, conduct abatement activities, and make other preparations to ensure demolition activities are protective of workers, the public, and the site’s important cultural and biological resources.
NASA’s top priority at SSFL, including for demolition, is the health and safety of the community and our field teams. All demolition activities are conducted in accordance with NASA’s Demolition Standard Operating Procedures, approved by DTSC in 2011, the 2014 NASA Record of Decision for Demolition , and all applicable state and federal regulations and requirements.
The Coca Test Stands supported historic space exploration programs such as the 1960s Apollo Program that sent astronauts to the moon, as well as the Space Shuttle Program in the 1980s. NASA recognizes the role the Coca Test Stands played in these historic achievements and the Agency has identified several artifacts from within the test stands and control house that will be retained for historic preservation. You can sign up to receive notifications about demolition and other NASA SSFL updates by subscribing to our NASA SSFL Communications E-List.
Get Acrobat Reader
