Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

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Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Location Jackson County and Pennington County, South Dakota, USA
Nearest city Wall, South Dakota
Coordinates 43°55′52″N 102°09′38″W / 43.93111, -102.16056
Area 15 acres (0.06 km²)
Established November 29, 1999
Visitors 12,163[1] (in 2007, Summer Season Only)
Governing body National Park Service

Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is one of the newest units in the United States National Park System. It was established in 1999 to illustrate the history and significance of the Cold War, the arms race, and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) development. The National Historic Site preserves one of the last remaining Minuteman II ICBM systems in the United States.[2]

Contents

[edit] Facilities

The site consists of two significant Cold War era sites, a Launch Control Facility and a missile silo-launch facility complex. The facilities represent the only remaining intact components of a nuclear missile field that consisted of 150 Minuteman II missiles, 15 launch control centers, and covered over 13,500 square miles (35,000 km²) of southwestern South Dakota.[2]

The launch facility was constructed in 1963 and is known as Delta Nine. It occupies 1.6 acres (6,000 m²) one-half mile (800 m) southwest of Interstate 90 at Exit 116 and six miles (10 km) from the town of Wall, South Dakota, in eastern Pennington County. It consists of a silo 12 feet (3.7 m) in diameter and 80 feet (24 m) deep made of reinforced concrete with a steel-plate liner. The door to the silo has been welded and fitted with a transparent roof, and an unarmed missile placed inside. Not only does this permit visitors to look down on the missile, but satellites are able to verify that the site is not operational, and hence in compliance with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

The launch control facility, known as Delta One, is about 11 miles (18 km) away, to the east in northwestern Jackson County. It occupies approximately six acres (24,000 m²) 1.7 miles (3 km) north of I-90 at Exit 127. It consists of an aboveground building containing a kitchen, sleeping quarters, and life support equipment, and a launch control center buried 31 feet (9.4 m) deep and connected to the main building by an elevator.

The site can only be toured completely by making advance reservations with the National Park Service. Tours are approximately two hours long and are limited to six people. Beginning in Summer 2007, numerous Open Houses were held at the ground level facilities of Delta-01 and the underground Launch Control Center and which greatly increased the numbers of visitors. Additionally, Summer-season limited public tours hours were established for drive-up visitors at the Delta-09 launch facility.[1]

A view of the silo from above.
A view of the silo from above.

[edit] History

The sprawling missile complex, one of several located in the central United States, remained on alert for nearly 30 years, until the site was de-activated following the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) President George Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1992. Under the terms of the treaty, the missiles were removed from their silos, and in 1994 the 44th Missile Wing was officially deactivated. The last site was destroyed in 1996, leaving a single launch facility and silo to be preserved as Cold War historic sites.[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b [1] NPS Press Release “Minuteman Missile has Record Breaking 2007 Summer Season”, October 8, 2007
  2. ^ a b c [2] National Park Service; Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

[edit] External links

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U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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