black mesa research facility on a map of arizona

The gel also contained untested elements and compounds, which did not agree with the skeleton system (violently so), and sumbersion in the gel could have catastrophic consequences for health. Aperture's peculiar approach to testing existed since the beginning, as the control group for the repulsion gel only received blue paint, leading to brutal injuries among the test subjects. The first enrichment sphere in test shaft 09 was completed in 1953 and tests focused on the repulsion gel. Each subject's background determined the kind of assignment they received and in which test shaft they'd perform the tests. Johnson attracted the cream of the crop to Aperture, including astronauts, war heroes, and Olympic athletes, As a prestigious scientific organization at the time, test subjects waived their fees and they were instead donated to charitable organizations. As Aperture was riding high, no expense was spared, with waiting rooms furnished with genuine wooden paneling, wrought iron fittings, with attendants catering to every whim of the test subjects shuttled to the Michigan facility with limousines. Nine test shafts were designed, with asbestos enrichment spheres serving as self-contained testing environments. Rather than delve into it and build downwards, Johnson elected for an unorthodox approach and began building from the floor up, starting at four kilometers of depth and moving upwards. The salt mine served as the foundation for the future Aperture Science facility, from 1952 onwards.

Black mesa research facility on a map of arizona