The titan ii was capable of delivering a 9 megaton nuclear warhead to. The museum sits atop the only remaining titan ii missile site of the 54 that helped guard the united states from a missile attack from 1963 to 1987. The department of defense and the air force ballistic missile committee approved an insilo launch capability for titan missiles beginning with the seventh squadron october 1962. A history of a cold war missile program by david k. The titan missile museum, also known as air force facility missile site 8 or as titan ii icbm site 5717, is a former icbm missile site located at 1580 west. Watch command and control american experience official. Visit titan missile museum on your trip to sahuarita or.
View all attractions near titan missile museum on tripadvisor. Experience that would prove useful in later missile programs. Up close and personal with a giant titan nuclear missile cnet. The titan missile museum, also known as air force facility missile site 8 or as titan ii icbm site 5717, is a former icbm missile site located at 1580 west duval. The titan missile museum in sahuarita, arizona is the only titan ii missile site thats open for public. The titan museum is located about 25 miles south of tucson arizona, in a desert area, very near the mexican border. The titan missile museum, also known as air force facility missile site 8 or as titan ii icbm site 5717, is a former icbm missile site located at 1580 west duval mine road, sahuarita, arizona in the united states. To learn about more worthwhile museums in tucson, whether art. The space launch vehicle versions contributed the majority of the 368 titan launches, including all the project gemini crewed flights of the mid1960s. The titan missile museum in az is the only publicly accessible titan ii missile site in the usa. On november 17, 2016 the bureau of land management blm and the u. This titan nuclear missile silo used to house some of the most powerful weapons on the planet.
It began as a backup icbm project in case the sm65 atlas was delayed. Titan missile museum 1580 west duval mine road green valley, az. This community is dedicated to amateur radio and the ways we use it outdoors and offroad. Learn about the cold war and nuclear conflict at titan missile museum. There are plenty of attractions south of tucson on the i19 corridor. The topsecret nuclear missile silos of the cold war are either offlimits because theyre still in use, or emptied and destroyed. But then most people probably arent aware that there is another hole in the ground that is equally deserving of your time. Titan ii missile interpretive site friends of ironwood. Also known as the titan ii icbm site 5717, it still has the original launch facilities in its exhibits so anyone who will come for a visit will really have a blast touring it. It was a twostage rocket operational from early 1962 to mid1965 whose lr87 booster engine was powered by rp1 and liquid oxygen. John and cynthia heyde donated this model to nasm in the late. The minuteman was and still is today a technological wonder. The site, near tuscon arizona, has been preserved as a museum to serve as a reminder of what was once the usas most powerful component of its landbased nuclear deterrent. Clicktap here to download the free azfamily mobile app.
The titan missile museum the big waste of space photologue. Titan missile museum usa attractions lonely planet. This unique attraction is the titan missile museum, once an actual nuclear facility housing an actual combat crew in charge of an actual atomic weapon. Although the titan missile museum is the only site that preserves an original titan ii complex, there were 17 other titan ii sites in the tucson area. Survivor recalls 1965 titan ii missile silo fire that killed 53. Titan ii missile silo coordinates the military standard.
Standing 103 feet tall and weighing a colossal 330,000 pounds, it had a range of up to 9,300 miles away 3,000 miles greater than the titan i. Titan was a family of united states expendable rockets used between 1959 and 2005. Watch this video tour of a cold war bunker, housing the titan ii missile, the only one of its kind left. The titan ii was the largest icbm ever deployed by the u. Us air force set to replace intercontinental nuke arsenal.
Air force dedicated a new destination for visitors to the ironwood forest national monument. Titan i icbm on display at the air force space and missile museum. The missile potential hazard team gathered together some of the top figures in the air force to deal with the accident. As of 3182020, the titan missile museum is closed and all tours have been suspended indefinitely. The only surviving titan ii icbm missile silo open to the public, complete with a deactivated missile, its launch control centre and all other support equipment still in situ. Operational titan is contained an allinertial guidance system to direct the nuclear warhead to the target. Titan i missile site coordinates university of wyoming. At the height of the cold war, the government had hired contractors to shore up the strength of the silo that was cradling one of. A titan i second stage was used as a target for a star wars test in 1985. Titan ii was the largest and most powerful icbm america ever built.
The titan ii was an intercontinental ballistic missile icbm and space launcher developed by. Because it was both stored in and fired from underground silos, the titan ii was much less vulnerable to destruction in an attack than its predecessor, the titan i. When it comes to arizona tourism, most people assume that once youve seen the grand canyon you can write the state off. Finally, the supports that held the missile in place inside the silo would be released. The hgm25a titan i was the first version of the titan family of rockets. Unearthed titan ii icbm nuclear missile silo complex at. Titan i and titan ii were part of the us air forces intercontinental ballistic missile fleet until 1987. The missile could launch from its underground silo in just 58 seconds.
At this national historic landmark site, visitors stand on the front line of the cold war. Titan ii insilo launch capability for titan missiles beginning in october 1962. Liquid propellants for the titan is aerojet rocket engines. Titan i intercontinental ballistic missile icbm titan i icbm on display at the national museum of the usaf. Aug 16, 2015 survivor recalls 1965 titan ii missile silo fire that killed 53. The titan ii was an intercontinental ballistic missile icbm and space launcher developed by the glenn l. Then, as my radiation treatments are in green valley, on friday they took me and afterwards we did the sights there, the titan ii missile museum. Smithsonianworthy piece of history hides underground outside. The others were destroyed, or at any rate, made unusable.
Step back in time and learn about a time when arizona had a live nuclear weapon. On our spring visit to tucson, i decided to visit a local attraction that i have never seen the titan missile museum. At the titan missile museum, visitors stand on the historic front line of the cold war. Visit the cold war era in the titan ii missile museum south of tucson. Unlike the minuteman nhs, the titan missile museum is all at one location.
Take a tour to see an intercontinental ballistic missile in its cold war. The first solid fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile icbm the u. Its kept that way so the soviets can peer inside with their satellites and see that its not an active missile site any more. The titan missile museum outside tucson air force facility missile site 8. Visit us in washington, dc and chantilly, va to explore hundreds of the worlds most significant objects in aviation and space history. Take a step back in time with this incredible photo tour. View all hotels near titan missile museum on tripadvisor. The titan missile museum, also known as air force facility missile site 8 or as titan ii icbm site 5717, is a former icbm missile site located at 1580 west duval mine road, sahuarita, arizona. Southern arizona home to large nuclear weapon museum tucson. Titan ii icbm sm68b the titan ii icbm, developed from the titan i missile, was first flown successfully on 16 march 1962. Mar 14, 2020 book now at 76 restaurants near titan missile museum on opentable. The department of defense and the air force ballistic missile committee approved an insilo launch capability for titan missiles beginning with the. Titan missile the twostage titan i, together with the atlas, comprised our nations first generation of liquidfueled, strategic, intercontinental ballistic missiles icbms.
It is located about 40 km 25 mi south of tucson on i19. Plan a visit to the oneofakind titan missile museum today and explore the last of the 54 titan ll missile sites used between 19631987. Jul 03, 2017 the titan missile museum is a fascinating look inside one of the cold wars greatest terrors. Up close and personal with a giant titan nuclear missile. March 2016 i thought this was the last generation of silo based icbm in the united states but i. Take i19 south to exit 69 and head west for about half a mile until you see the signs on the right. A twostage, liquidfuel missile, it carried a nuclear warhead and had a range of approximately 5,500 nautical miles. Titan missile museum tickets free printable museum. The twostage titan i, together with the atlas, comprised our nations first generation of liquidfueled, strategic, intercontinental ballistic missiles icbms. Learn more about it at the titan missile museum website. The shortlived titan i provided greatly needed experience in handling large, multistage, ballistic missiles.
The site, near tuscon arizona, has been preserved as a museum to serve as a reminder of what was once the usa s most powerful component of its landbased nuclear. The first stage was powered by a pair of improved lr87 rocket engines. Titan i was primarily a parallel development with atlas though it came a little later and used very hard sites. The titan missile museum invites you to come and see this wonder of. Daily guided tours include a closeup view of the sevenstory missile. May 20, 2015 step back in time and learn about a time when arizona had a live nuclear weapon. Air force would deploy, the minuteman could stand dormant and unmanned for days, weeks, months and decades on end, needing only limited maintenance and upkeep. Survivor recalls 1965 titan ii missile silo fire that.
Proud to represent the titan missile museum at the 2019 country fair white elephant grant award ceremony yesterday. A very readable short history of titan i is at the beginning of titan ii. At this national historic landmark site, visitors stand. Titan i was primarily a parallel development with atlas though it came a. Zoom in and note the tiny black halfcircle thats the halfopen silo.
Titan missile museum dark tourism the guide to dark. From 1963 to 1984, the air force maintained this titan ii missile site, one of fiftyfour poised ready for the dreaded third world war. Titan ii was originally designed and used as an icbm, but was later adapted as a mediumlift space launch vehicle to carry payloads to earth orbit for the united states air force usaf, national aeronautics and space administration nasa. The titan ii was the first liquidpropelled intercontinental ballistic missile icbm that could be fired from below ground and could reach its target up to halfway around the world in 30 minutes or less. A deactivated titan ii nuclear icbm in a silo at the titan missile museum in green valley, ariz. The titan missile museum is located in green valley, about 20 miles south of tucson, arizona. On my channel you can take a peak into what im experiencing in the world. Be sure to visit the offical museum page here before you plan your visit. Hoping for temporary relief, i stopped to check out a partially unearthed titan ii in southeastern arizona. The titan missile museum is a fascinating look inside one of the cold wars greatest terrors. The titan missile museum is the only publicly accessible titan ii missile site in the nation. Model, missile, titan ii national air and space museum. Titan missile strategic air command nuclear warhead. Titan missile museum visit checking out an icon of the cold war and a fixture of southern arizona.