Minuteman

[Subdeacon Joe]

On This Date, Sept. 15, 1959: The first silo launch of a tethered, full-scale Minuteman ICBM (LGM-30) took place at the Rocket Engine Test Station on Leuhman Ridge, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The test missile was fitted with dummy second and third stages, and carried only a few second’s fuel in the first stage. This test showed that the Minuteman could be fired directly from an underground silo, prompting the Air Force to fast-track the program in the hopes of having the first Minuteman I on duty by 1962. The production of the first operational Minuteman I force was approved in March 1960 and consisted of 150 missiles assigned to a single missile wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The previous month at Cape Canaveral, the first full test of a Minuteman I proved successful — the missile deposited its warhead 4,600 miles from the launch site. During these tests the missiles did not employ armed atomic warheads. TIME magazine reported that an awed observer murmured “Brother, there goes the missile gap” and described the successful test flight as follows, “Even for sophisticated missile watchers, the men who have marked the flight of so many of Cape Canaveral’s great fire-breathing birds, last week’s show was a dazzling spectacle. The blast-off was swift and sure; there was none of that heart-stopping hover of other tests when liquid-fueled monsters seemed to balance in uncertain equilibrium before they picked up the momentum of flight.”
 
For more aerospace and aviation milestones, visit https://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2021/09/10/on-this-date-77/

 

 

[Dubious Don #56333]

Pretty cool, Joe!

For whatever reason, these things interest me. The last surviving Titan II silo, 571-7 is right here in AZ. I've been to that site enough times I could probably get a job as a tour guide LOL. They still have the giant discone antenna and it is kept in working order for any ham radio people who want to use it. The other seventeen silos in AZ are in varying stages of abandonment or fixer-upping LOL. I know of one Minuteman complex open for tours, don't know about any Atlas E/F silos restored to museum quality and there are one or maybe two surviving examples of Titan I silos in Colorado I think, but it doesn't look like anyone has restored those.

[Grass Range]

We still have several Minuteman missiles in silos in Montana. Supposed to be upgraded in the near future. Again

[Pat Riot]

11 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

or more aerospace and aviation milestones, visit https://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2021/09/10/on-this-date-77/

 

Fascinating website. Thank you Joe. BIG Thumbs Up!

[Pat Riot]

Hilarious! Look what else was on that page:

 

 

(Courtesy photo)

Sept. 17, 1976: The prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise, built by Rockwell International (North American), is rolled out in Palmdale, Calif. Its nine-month approach and landing test program lasts from Jan. 31 until Oct. 26, 1977. Enterprise was the first orbiter of the Space Shuttle system, and was built for NASA as part of the Space Shuttle program to perform atmospheric test flights after being launched from a modified Boeing 747. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield. As a result, it was not capable of spaceflight. Originally, Enterprise had been intended to be refitted for orbital flight to become the second space-rated orbiter in service. However, during the construction of Space Shuttle Columbia, details of the final design changed, making it simpler and less costly to build Challenger around a body frame that had been built as a test article. Similarly, Enterprise was considered for refit to replace Challenger after the latter was destroyed, but Endeavour was built from structural spares instead. In this photograph, “Star Trek” television cast members attend the roll out ceremony. From left: Dr. James C. Fletcher (NASA Administrator), DeForest Kelley (Dr. “Bones” McCoy), George Takei (Mr. Sulu), James Doohan (Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Leonard Nimoy (the indefatigable Mr. Spock), Gene Roddenberry (The Great Bird of the Galaxy), Democratic Congressman Don Fuqua, and Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov).
 
 

[Trailrider #896]

Don't recall the exact date, but I was working for the Navy as a summer-hire on the Polaris Program in the summer of 1961, at Cape Carniverous*.  The Air Force tried to launch a Minuteman from the silo at the Cape.  The bird got half-way out of the hole when the second stage ignited or somesuch.  Burning chunks of propellant clear over to the Thor-Delta pads.  Firemen were called out mainly to kill the ratttlesnakes that crawled out of the brush!  We were laughing like mad, as the U.S.S Abe Lincoln had loaded five A1E birds, went downrange and fired all five successfully as fast as the AMR could reset.

 

Minuteman got its revenge on me for laughing, as I wound up driving all over central Montana in blue trucks four years later for a tour as an Air Force missile maintenance officer on Minuteman I and II! 

 

*Earlier, when test flights of the Snark cruise missile were being conducted (attempted?), they dumped so many of them offshore in the Atlantic Ocean that the ocean was known as "Snark-infested waters"! 

[Dubious Don #56333]

I suppose all of them had growing pains LOL. For some odd reason, Redstone comes to mind.....

Sometimes, when I look back at things like the baloon design of the Atlas or Davy Crockett W54 recoiless rocket or SADM's I just have to wonder, how crazy were we? LOL

[Sedalia Dave]

There is also a Nike Missile Site Museum. Few people are aware that there were nuclear armed SAMs protecting major US cities during the cold war. 

 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

20 hours ago, Dubious Don #56333 said:

I suppose all of them had growing pains LOL. For some odd reason, Redstone comes to mind.....

Sometimes, when I look back at things like the baloon design of the Atlas or Davy Crockett W54 recoiless rocket or SADM's I just have to wonder, how crazy were we? LOL

 

Or the nuclear powered hand grenade with a bursting radius of 150 meters when the average GI could only throw one 30 meters.

[Subdeacon Joe]

44 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

There is also a Nike Missile Site Museum. Few people are aware that there were nuclear armed SAMs protecting major US cities during the cold war. 

 

 

Site 88.  My wife's dad was a yoyo Warrant there.  As well as one of the key personnel.

 

We spent a few Saturdays helping get it cleaned up and ready for visitors before the museum opened.  First work party none of the organizers had thought about coffee.  Or a way to heat things for the potluck lunch.  Fortunately we had with us our folding camp kitchen, ten gallon s of water, a big camp coffee pot, 3 burner camp stove, a big can of coffee. Oh, and a 6 foot folding table.  We kind of had a feeling that the Marinites wouldn't think of those things.

[Sedalia Dave]

55 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

We kind of had a feeling that the Marinites wouldn't think of those things.

 

Had to look that up.

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

27 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Had to look that up.

 

 

Hmmm....dare I ask what you found.

 

What else would you call people from Marin County?

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Oh! I thought you ..... Never mind.

[Sedalia Dave]

39 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Hmmm....dare I ask what you found.

 

What else would you call people from Marin County?

 

From the Urban Dictionary

 

Marinite

 

Native of a secluded area on the mellow side of a famous bridge. Lives on a houseboat in Sausalito, or in a cliff clinging edifice screened from view by steam from the hot tub. Preferred transportation is sailboat, bicycle, BMW or jogging shoe. Enjoys days on the bay, natural food, Ramos Fizz brunches, good neighbors and sunsets over Mt. Tam. Wants it all now, but will settle for a reasonable amount & monthly payments. Has endured floods, peacock feathers and mudslides on the Waldo, but would never live anywhere else.

 

Resident of Marin County, California. A "spiritual" hack, and universally authoritarian. Blames America first, especially when Republicans are in power. Invariably self-obsessed with an obscene sense of entitlement. Penchant for plastic surgery. Bemoans the rich despite being a firmly entrenched member of said socioeconomic class.

 

Birkenstock-wearing, latte sipping, tree-hugging, Mercedes Benz driving people.

99% of Marinites watched Al Gore's, "Inconvieniant Truth."

 

 

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

3 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

From the Urban Dictionary

 

Marinite

 

Native of a secluded area on the mellow side of a famous bridge. Lives on a houseboat in Sausalito, or in a cliff clinging edifice screened from view by steam from the hot tub. Preferred transportation is sailboat, bicycle, BMW or jogging shoe. Enjoys days on the bay, natural food, Ramos Fizz brunches, good neighbors and sunsets over Mt. Tam. Wants it all now, but will settle for a reasonable amount & monthly payments. Has endured floods, peacock feathers and mudslides on the Waldo, but would never live anywhere else.

 

Resident of Marin County, California. A "spiritual" hack, and universally authoritarian. Blames America first, especially when Republicans are in power. Invariably self-obsessed with an obscene sense of entitlement. Penchant for plastic surgery. Bemoans the rich despite being a firmly entrenched member of said socioeconomic class.

 

Birkenstock-wearing, latte sipping, tree-hugging, Mercedes Benz driving people.

99% of Marinites watched Al Gore's, "Inconvieniant Truth."

 

 

 

 

A lot of truth in that satire.

[Dubious Don #56333]

On 9/17/2021 at 3:57 PM, Sedalia Dave said:

There is also a Nike Missile Site Museum. Few people are aware that there were nuclear armed SAMs protecting major US cities during the cold war. 

 

Or Europe. Nothing like leaving the barracks one morning to walk across the base to the MP station for duty and seeing the local Air Defense Artillery unit lined up for a convoy with their toys. Since they had one of our "sister" MP units with them, I knew those were the "other" ones LOL. I'll just mosy on over to the MP station and hide under a desk or something until youse guys leave LOL.