Papoose Airstrip (IATA: PAS, ICAO: KOAS, FAA LID: NV27) is a private-use airport located 17 miles (27 km) north of the central business district of Mercury, in Nye County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located on the Nevada Test Site and is owned by the United States Department of Energy. On the sectional chart it is depicted as an unverified airstrip.
Many U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA. However, this airport is assigned NV27 by the FAA but has been assigned PAS from the IATA.
The airport was the staging area for Shot Dover, a test of the Upshot–Knothole Series of nuclear test shots on September 4th, 1958.
Papoose Airstrip Airport covers an area of 41 acres (17 ha) and has two runways, one located on the salt flat and a shorter, more recently constructed asphalt runway just east of the salt flat:
- Runway 01/19: 4,990 x 75 ft (1,521 x 23 m), surface: Asphalt
- Runway 14/32: 9,000 x 200 ft (2,743 x 61 m), surface: Salt
The asphalt runway was constructed in 2012 as part of an unmanned aerial vehicle test facility.