Black Mesa Research Facility

"The biggest embarrassment has been Black Mesa facility, but I think that's finally taken care of itself."

- The G-Man

The Black Mesa Research Facility, or B.M.R.F. for short, and colloquially known as Black Mesa, was a scientific research complex built around an abandoned Cold War ICBM launch silo in the New Mexico desert in the United States. The site was the location of the [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Mesa_Incident Black Mesa Incident], the result of a [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Resonance_cascade Resonance cascade] which would have [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Seven_Hour_War catastrophic ramifications] upon the planet for years to come. The facility was destroyed by the [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_IV_Thermonuclear_Device Mark IV Thermonuclear Device] some day after the cascade.

Overview

 * The Black Mesa facility was apparently built over several decommissioned ICBM launching and testing silo complexes probably constructed during the [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/1950s 1950s], which was converted into a vast civilian institute for the research of almost every conceivable [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Mesa#Fields_array scientific discipline]. Several Half-Life texture files' names contain the word "fifties", suggesting the facility is as old as from the 1950s. Some areas are also described by characters such as [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Rosenberg Rosenberg] as "old" or "abandoned"; several areas of the complex are badly run-down despite the obvious fact that they are still in use. However the surface areas of Black Mesa feature more modern construction.
 * Black Mesa undertakes its various scientific researches in the facility, which is a very high-security complex, as each employee is required to undergo a series of rigorous security checks to access most areas. [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Security_guard Security guards], carrying firearms and trained for emergencies, are present in all of the facility. The complex is also equipped with [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Retinal_scanner retinal scanners] and alarms, as well as heavy blast doors that may shut down in case of fire, explosion or other event. Black Mesa can be completely sealed from the outside.


 * The facility is self-sufficient, housing its own: ventilation, cold and hot water, central heating, sanitation, drainage, and power generation systems including a [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Hydro-Electric_Dam Hydro-Electric Dam] and multiple types of electrical generators and reactors, some using nuclear technology. Chemical processing plants are also seen and as the facility is located within the desert water treatment plants are required to recycle waste water.
 * The complex is dominated by a number of underground laboratories, test areas (including an [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Anti-Mass_Spectrometer Anti-Mass Spectrometer]), and administration offices, most of which contain very high-tech equipment, and even a [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Rocket rocket] launch site.
 * The complex also features multi-story car parks (where only [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Mesa_SUV Black Mesa SUVs] can be found), arsenals of nuclear and conventional weapons, and a local electric rail materials transport network, [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Sector_E_Materials_Transport Sector E Materials Transport].
 * Black Mesa is also apparently kept supplied by a conventional freight rail linked to the outside, managed in the [./https://half-life.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Mesa_Research_Facility#Freight_Yard Freight Yard].