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Throughout the Cold War and continuing to this day, the Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center and the Cheyenne Mountain Directorate collect data from a worldwide system of satellites, radar, and other sensors and process that information in real time. Operations are conducted year-round in the Air Warning Center, Missile Correlation Center, Operational Intelligence Watch, Systems Center, Weather Center, and the Command Center. While the functions of the Space Control Center have moved to Vandenberg Air Force Base, and there are plans to move remaining operations to nearby Peterson Air Force Base, NORAD continues to conduct day-to-day operations in Cheyenne Mountain, and, with the final move to Peterson Air Force Base, will maintain the Cheyenne Mountain Directorate for use in the event of an emergency. The design of this facility makes it one of the most unusual installations in the world. Apart from the fact that it is housed 2,000 feet (600 m) into the mountain, it is also notable in that it is a joint and binational military organization comprising over 200 men and women from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Canadian Forces. The mountain is also home to several civilian facilities, including the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. |