Abandoned in Place: Haunting Photographs of Deserted US Space Launch Sites

Roland Miller has been photographing space exploration-related facilities for more than 25 years. His Abandoned In Place project is a photographic exploration of the now-deserted American space launch and research facilities that played a crucial role in the early period of space exploration.

Abandoned space facilities — V2 launch site with Hermes A-1 rocket, launch complex 33 gantry, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, 2006 Roland Miller

His photos record a vanishing era in both the space race and the cold war. The facilities photographed in Abandoned In Place represent one of the most historic and technical adventures of the last century – from our first unmanned flights beyond the atmosphere to landing men on the moon.

A sense of the urgency of the space race is evident in many of the images. Signs and labels in the images reflect the technology of the era.

The structures depicted also recall the darker threat of nuclear war. Some of the images describe a future that could have been if the cold war had heated up.

He says: "The blockhouses, launch towers, tunnels, test stands, and control rooms featured in Abandoned In Place are rapidly giving way to the elements and demolition. By my estimates, fully half of the facilities I have photographed no longer exist. The costs involved in restoring, maintaining, and securing these sites are enormous. Most of these historic facilities are located on secure military or Nasa facilities, which drastically limits access by the public. Therefore, photography is the only practical method to preserve and portray these historic locations."

His photos serve not only as a documentary, but also as an artistic interpretation of these sites. He uses a combination of documentary and abstract images.