House is located 30+ mins out of Madison WI. The guidance radar fed missile position data to the AN/GSK-1 (Univac Athena) missile guidance computer in the Launch Control Center. [79], Titan-I ICBM SM vehicles being destroyed at Mira Loma AFS for the SALT-1 Treaty, Of the 33 Titan I Strategic Missiles and two (plus five possible) Research and Development Missiles that were not launched, destroyed, or scrapped, several survive today:[citation needed]. I think the trotting park would be okay to explore alone but that's nuts to go into the TITAN alone. These doors weigh about 115 tons each! All connected by an extensive network of tunnels. More than 600,000 cubic yards of earth was excavated. I have heard from a few different people that there is a really cool homeowner nearby with a huge American flag. (KOTA) By Sunday Miller. While in operation, these missile sites were manned by the US Air Force 24 hours day/365 days a year. Clemmer, Wilbur E..1966, Phase-Out of the Atlas E and F and Titan I Weapon Systems, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Historical Research Division Air Force Logistics Command, 1962, p. 28. (stg. [34], Produced by the Glenn L. Martin Company (which became "The Martin Company" in 1957), Titan I was a two-stage, liquid-fueled ballistic missile with an effective range of 6,101 nautical miles (11,300km). See, Earl , Titan Missile Memoirs, Huntington Beach, California: American Aviation Historical Society Journal, Summer 2014, p. 118. (stg. The owner claims that he will seal it off for good From my understanding it's been sealed off for good and can no longer be accessed. The USAF removed equipment it had uses for, the rest was offered to other government agencies. You are incredibly knowledgeable! 1954 October 25 - .LV Family: Titan. I just happened to check back on this thread today. Looking to start exploring, and this is rather nearby. Hey Nick Adamescu! Missile Silo Diver Specialty Certification: starting at $65.00 ( details) This dive is both a deep dive and a night dive. 101 - Mar 13 1962. The water temperature was a pretty consistent 55 degrees. Cleary, Mark, The 6555th Missile and Space Launches Through 1970, 45th Space Wing History Office, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, Chapter III Section 6. Titan I 568-B Squadron: 568th SMS Date Activated: April 1st 1961 Date Deactivated: March 25th 1965 Air Force Base: Larson State: Washington Nearest Town: Warden Coordinates: Latitude: 4654'59.84"N Longitude: 119 3'15.54"W Decimal: Latitude: 46.916622 Longitude: -119.054317 GPS: Latitude: 46 . Missille Silos. [39][40] The guidance computer used the tracking data to generate instructions which were encoded and transmitted to the missile by the guidance radar. . Simpson, Col. Charlie, LOX and RP-1 Fire Waiting to Happen, Brekenridge, Colorado: Association of Air Force Missileers, Volume 14, Number 3 2006, p. 1. Of the eight bid packages, the lowest submitted ($31.6 million) had been assembled by a joint venture of contractors composed of MacDonald Construction Company, The Scott Company, Paul Hardeman Company, G.H. We successfully explored around half of the silo in 90 and made it out with no tickets. Apr 25, 2015. Latitude: 46.916622 Here we are the craziest dive of my career so far: Missile Silo Diving the Titan 1 complex in Washington State! Each launcher had two doors on top. However, the Titan exploded almost as soon as it was released by the launcher mechanism. I would love to a Titan I missile Silo complex. [31][32], Although most of the Titan I's teething problems were worked out by 1961, the missile was already eclipsed not only by the Atlas, but by its own design successor, the Titan II, a bigger, more powerful ICBM with storable hypergolic propellants. Here are some maps showing the locations of U.S. Minuteman III ICBM silo's along with coordinates. [60] The sites also had to be close enough that if a site's guidance system failed it could "handover" its missiles to another site of the squadron.[61][62]. The launch site was established in redmond, washington, in 1957 as the last line of defense against the soviet. Spent about an hour exploring only the power house and surrounding tunnels but had to leave when we encountered a group of 15 highschoolers. I was so surprised to see that some of the openings above ground haven't been sealed off for liability reasons. On November 18, 1959, the Walla Walla District opened bid packages. On 5 February, LC-16 returned to action by hosting Missile C-4. Young Construction Company, and Morrison-Knudsen Company, Incorporated. Brendan Smialowski/ Getty In 1961, President John F. Kennedy sent out a letter to American citizens warning them about the threat of nuclear war. Last appraised 2020 for $420,000 W/ out bunker or greenhouse. 701-256-2129. "We were hoping it wasn't going to start quite as high as what it did. Drop some gas down there or something much worse and there goes the crew. HGM-25A Titan I ICBM 1961-1965 Operated three missile sites: (1 August 1960-25 June 1965) 725-A, 14 miles SE of Watkins, Colorado 393515N 1042742W 725-B, 4 miles NNE of Deer Trail, Colorado 39 . In September 1955, The Martin Company was declared the contractor for the Titan missile. Guidance Changes Made on Atlas, Titan, Aviation Week 28 July 1958, page 22, Titan Guidance Switch, Aviation Week 6 April 195, page 31, United States Air Force, The T.O. After it's renovated with houses in all access points above ground. The owner had barred off the entire entrance but someone had come with a shovel and dug underneath all the grates. I know that this sounds self absorbed of me. [18], A total of 62 flight test missiles were constructed in various numbers. Stumpf, David K., Titan II, p 22-26, The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2000. 21M-HGM25A-1-1 Technical Manual Operation and Organizational Maintenance HGM-25A Missile Weapon System, United States Air Force, 1964, page 3-100. It's move-in ready and nuclear-attack ready. GPS: [37] Less than a year later the Air Force considered deploying the Titan I with an all-inertial guidance system but that change never occurred. I wish I could have seen the place when it was in better shape. [19][18][20], The four A-type missile launches with dummy second stages all occurred in 1959 and were carried out on 6 February, 25 February, 3 April, and 4 May. (full missile) Spacetec CCAFS Horizontal, Green, Warren E., The Development of The SM-68 Titan, Historical Office Deputy Commander for Aerospace Systems, Air Force Systems Command, 1962, Lonnquest, John C and Winkler, David F., To Defend and Deter: the Legacy of the Cold War Missile program, U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, Champaign, IL Defense Publishing Service, Rock Island, IL,1996, Mc Murran, Marshall W, Achieving Accuracy a Legacy of Computers and Missiles, Xlibris Corporation, 2008, Rosenberg, Max, The Air Force and The National Guided Missile Program 1944-1949, USAF Historical Division Liaison Office, Ann Arbor, 1964. This guy chose is ideal missile. Chuck Hill again. It was to YouTube. h/t "The Titan 1 missile system was kind of. Thanks for the outstanding pictures and views in this post. After the successful flight of Missile G-4 on 24 February, Missile C-1's second stage failed to ignite on 8 March due to a stuck valve preventing the gas generator from starting. On 20 January 1961, Missile AJ-10 launched from LC-19 at CCAS. That's a good dream to have and hold on too. I'm just curious. I would still live in the city grew up in. Titan missile base for sale (Google Maps). And then people could go legally. Discover this 5.1-mile loop trail near Deer Park, Washington. 701-335-6525 . The intercontinental ballistic missiles served as a warning to the Soviet Union that any attack on the United States would bring about its destruction. The Air Force's goal in launching the Titan program was twofold: one, to serve as a backup should Atlas fail; and two, to develop a large, two-stage missile with a longer range . One of my friends is a football player and is 6'1" and 220 lbs and he nearly got stuck on the way in and on the way out. Not sure if he's still alive or not, but he was an old curmudgeon who was known for having some screws loose.) [9] At the time, this new organization was very controversial. Sheehan, Neil 2009, A Fiery Peace in a Cold War Bernard Schriever and the Ultimate Weapon, New York: Vintage Books, 2009, pp. (stg 1 mated to stg 1 below), SM-?? It does not surprise me that the ventilation system was not marked on the diagram. The first stage, besides including heavy fuel tanks and engines, also had launch interface equipment and the launch pad thrust ring with it. 21M-HGM25A-1-1 Technical Manual Operation and Organizational Maintenance HGM-25A Missile Weapon System, United States Air Force, 1964, paragraph 1-159 - 6-1 - 6-4. I do wonder if any of the other sites have a way in, worst case repeal in through the ventilation shaftunlikely the blast doors for the ventilation are closedmost were missing in the DearTrail complex. The large hole where the steel bars are over the tunnel come from removal of storage tanks. That sounds fascinating! [43], Titan I also was the first true multi-stage (two or more stages) design. [2] The Titan was developed in parallel with the Atlas (SM-65/HGM-16) ICBM, serving as a backup with potentially greater capabilities and an incentive for the Atlas contractor to work harder. The silos housed the HGM-25A Titan 1, the United States, first multistage Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. ), SM-?? "I got to tell you this is my first one, it's been a real thrill, we've had lots and lots of interest from around the country actually, and I can see it going back to possible grazing, maybe a home site, who knows. April 23, 1980. 255257. It really is a claustrophobic nightmare. Hoselton, Gary A., Titan I Guidance System, Brekenridge, Colorado: Association of Air Force Missileers, Volume 6, Number 1, March 1998, p. 7. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Allen Pollard/Released), A photo of what used to be the 851st Strategic Missile Squadron, Titan 1 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Complex 4C tunnels at Chico, Calif., May 23, 2013. Wow, what a historically interesting but seriously creepy place. I grew up in DeerTrail and we used to go out there all the time. May 19, 1883 . From 1962-1965, the 577th Strategic Missile Squadron was based at Altus Air Force Base in Altus, Oklahoma. Ken Wood and Jim Sullivan,Do you guys know the property owners and if they will call the police if we try to get into the silo?? The Development of the SM-68 Titan, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Air Force Systems Command, 1962, AFSC Historical Publications Series 62-23-1, p. 17. If you have a chance can you email me the coordinates at davisreynolds1234@gmail.com. Unfortunately, a broken hydraulic line caused the Titan's engines to gimbal hard left almost as soon as the tower was cleared. Volume 3: Long life assurance studies of components", "Titan I Captive and Flight Test Firing History", "Mira Loma Quartermaster. The Cold War-era facility costs just a little more than the average American home. If you do this quietly during nighttime and don't use flashlights you have little risk of being caught. [45] As North American Aviation's Rocketdyne Division was the only manufacturer of large liquid propellent rocket engines the Air Force Western Development Division decided to develop a second source for them. Is it still possible to explore this site? Priority was restored, and 1958 saw increases in funding and plans for additional Titan squadrons. Longitude: -119 3.259, 3 silos (As always). It was still very awesome when I was there, but abandoned places are always more interesting when artifacts are still lying around. [30] An operational specification SM-2 missile was launched from Vandenberg AFB LC-395-A3 on 21 January 1962, with the M7 missile launched on the last development flight from Cape Canaveral's LC-19 on 29 January 1962. But before you let that price scare you off, listen to what you get; The Titan 1C facility was built in the early 1960s at a cost of $170,000,000 (1960's dollars). Walker,Chuck, Atlas The Ultimate Weapon, Burlington Canada: Apogee Books, 2005, Widnal Perair S., Lecture L14 - Variable Mass Systems The: Rocket Equation, 2008, MIT OpenCourseWar. It's a shame the place has become off-limits. Great stuff! Located on a hill. It was so scary and exhilarating to stand at the edge of that huge drop. silly. [35] Following the launch of the first missile the other two could reportedly be fired at .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}7+12-minute intervals. I really wanted some illustrations for a missile silo complex Titan I. I wouldn't be surprised if the entrance was more blocked off in the future, but for now it is still possible to get in. I have SEVERE claustrophobia and found myself at times a bit panicked just from your extraordinary photographs! The Cold War Era drove a need to maintain missile sites around the country. [20][30], With attention shifting to the Titan II, there were only six Titan I flights during 1962, with one failure, when Missile SM-4 (21 January) experienced an electrical short in the second stage hydraulic actuator, which gimbaled hard left at T+98 seconds. One was used as a control room, the other for generating power. Green, Warren E., The Development of the SM-68 Titan, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Air Force Systems Command, 1962, AFSC Historical Publications Series 62-23-1, p. 4. If you enjoyed it, feel free to, Southeastern Colorado's incredible ghost towns, https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JimSullivanPlacesThatWere/posts, https://www.flickr.com/photos/placesthatwere/, Looking out the main entrance of the Titan I missile silo, Looking up a shaft leading to the surface, The bottom of the shaft was littered with old tires and other detritus. I sure got my exercise exploring that place. Though the SM-68A was operational for only three years, it spawned numerous follow-on models that were a part of the U.S. arsenal and space launch capability. Today, the area is home to one of the most mind-blowing destinations in the state. T he WS-107A-2 launcher silo is an intensely hardened protective container, 40' in diameter and 155' deep, constructed from specially formulated concrete and tons of reinforcing steel rods, some of which are well over an inch thick. Hoselton, Gary A., Titan I Guidance System, Brekenridge, Colorado: Association of Air Force Missileers, Volume 6, Number 1, March, 1998, p. 6. [21], On 14 August 1959, the first attempt to fly a Lot B missile with a live stage and dummy warhead ended in disaster. The only total failure in this last stretch of flights was when Missile V-4 (1 May 1963) suffered a stuck gas generator valve and loss of engine thrust at liftoff. I've only been the one time, but I'd love to go back. Wow, I never realized how huge the Titan bases are! This comment has been removed by the author. I love this place too. State: Washington I went SCUBA diving in one of these a few years back, in Royal City, WA. Dane County, Wisconsin. It's a strange sensation to be down there. 21M-HGM25A-1-1 Technical Manual Operation and Organizational Maintenance HGM-25A Missile Weapon System, United States Air Force, 1964, paragraph 1-159, On Alert An Operational History of the United States Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Program, 1945-2011, Spires, David, p 147, Air Force Space Command, United States Air Force, Colorado Springs, Colorado 2012, Stumpf, David K., Titan II, p 31, The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2000. The power house and control center were above water, but we made entry through an escape hatch in the middle of the complex and dove silos 2 and 3. Really a cool experience! [41] Guidance commands continued for the stage 1 burn, the stage 2 burn and the vernier burn ensuring the missile was on the correct trajectory and terminating the vernier burn at the desired velocity. Having spoken with quite a few retired missile site personnel, most of them were well aware that they'd probably be vaporized in the event of a nuclear war, despite the military continually trying to sell the "surviving underground" thing. Clemmer, Wilbur E..1966, Phase-Out of the Atlas E and F and Titan I Weapon Systems, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Historical Research Division Air Force Logistics Command, 1962, p. 25. SAHUARITA, ARIZ. The Titan II missile museum here is one of 54 former Titan II missile silos across the US, but it's the only one where tourists can go underground, sit at the controls, and . [75] One is open for tours. Nine Titan I silos split between three sites (3 x 3) at Odessa, Warden, and Quincy would be built along with support facilities at Larson AFB. Anyways, about a month or two after my heated discussion with the man signs went up, blocked entrance, and everything I addresses was done. If you'd like more info on how to get there, shoot me an email at missilesilostoose@gmail.com, One of the silos outside of Bennett is for sale and from the pictures, seems to be in really good shape and have electricity: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/41811-E-County-Road-30-Bennett-CO/7974879/. [55] Both antenna terminals and all three launchers were isolated with double door blast locks the doors of which could not be open at the same time. List of all Titan I site Coordinates, 30th LRS air terminal: a small shop with large responsibilities - Santa Maria Times (subscription), U.S. Senate OKs amendment requiring annual missile defense tests - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, US missile site in Ravenna to get first public airing - Akron Beacon Journal, Pentagon Launches Test Missile from Vandenberg - NBC 7 San Diego, Law Enforcement Torch Run crosses VAFB - Santa Maria Times (subscription), Iridium's SpaceX launch slowed by Vandenberg bottleneck - SpaceNews, US Air Force test-launches Minuteman missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base - LA Daily News, Missile-Defense Interceptor Flies From Vandenberg Air Force Base - Noozhawk, Seven detained at Vandenberg missile protest - Santa Maria Sun, L-3 Wins Consolidated Air Force Satellite Control Network Contract - Signal Magazine, Final Titan Rocket Launch Ends an Era (10/20/2005), Peacekeeper nuclear missile officially deactivated (9/20/2005), Blue Origin rocket plans detailed (6/13/2005). [27][28][29], A total of 21 Titan I launches took place during 1961, with five failures. 1960s Horizontal, SM-81 61-4508 Kansas Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas. This time however, I parked to the east of the silo instead of the west and walked in on a dirt road which was much easier than walking through a field like I did last time. I used to visit site 2A (Army National Guard facility near Bennett) when I was in High School back in the 1980s. SPOKANE Back in 1961 the U.S. Air Force, without any attempt at secrecy or stealth, hauled nine long-range ballistic missiles by truck . Hoselton, Gary A., Titan I Guidance System, Brekenridge, Colorado: Association of Air Force Missileers, Volume 6, Number 1998, p. 6. Not sure why people keep the location secret I found it in 2 minutes on Googleand a list and location of all the sites in many states. In 1959, the Department of Defense began constructing missile silos around Eastern Washington. DO NOT GO HERE! When the socket fell, it plunged 70 feet to pierce the side of the . It must have been amazing to see in the 80s, before everything was removed. Good to know. When the first stage had finished consuming its propellant, it dropped away, thereby decreasing the mass of the vehicle. [56], The launch crew was composed of a missile combat crew commander, missile launch officer (MLO), guidance electronics officer (GEO), ballistic missile analyst technician (BMAT), and two electrical power production technicians (EPPT). Wondering if it would be safe to go at night. You must have had so much fun exploring it as a kid. Before each launch, the guidance radar, which was periodically calibrated by acquiring a special target at a precisely known range and bearing,[66] had to acquire a radio on the missile (missile guidance set AN/DRW-18, AN/DRW-19, AN/DRW-20, AN/DRW-21, or AN/DRW-22). [54] The silos themselves were bigger and MUCH deeper (launcher number 3 at Deer Trail is especially scary, because it's hardly flooded and you can look down about 100 feetand there are no guard rails! It did not make economic sense to refurbish them as SM-65 Atlas missiles with similar payload capacities had already been converted to satellite launchers. Worked in the powerhouse. 21M-HGM25A-1-1 Technical Manual Operation and Organizational Maintenance HGM-25A Missile Weapon System, United States Air Force, 1964, page 6-1. Owner called the cops on us because we parked in plain site. One remained in use at Vandenberg AFB until it guided a last Thor-Agena launch in May 1972.