- cross-posted to:
- photography@fedia.io
- cross-posted to:
- photography@fedia.io
Titan II ICBM, Lauch Complex 571-7, Sahuarita, AZ, 2009.
All the pixels, none of the hazardous rocket fuel, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattblaze/4181990048
#photography
This just reminded me of a book I read years ago about a near disaster at a Titan missile silo back in 1980. Human error led to a fuel leak and subsequent explosion that blew the blast door off the silo and ejected the warhead.
A google search for the Damascus Titan explosion will find details about it.
@mattblaze@federate.social wild!
Captured with a DSLR and a Zeiss 21mm Distagon lens. Handheld (there was no room to set up a tripod).
In 2009, I was fortunate to join a “top to bottom” tour of former Air Force Titan ICBM site 571-7, now preserved as a museum. Titan II missiles carried a nine megaton(!) “physics package” in the “reentry vehicle” (which they emphatically assured me had been removed from this missile, but I still wouldn’t advise upsetting them too much).
More ICBM photos and discussion here: https://www.mattblaze.org/blog/titans/
@mattblaze@federate.social Really enjoyed this. Thanks :-)
Submarines long ago supplanted what these could do.
IIRC, by 1985, one sub carried a half dozen (or more) missiles with 1500mi range, each carrying a dozen independent warheads.
That was 1985…
Also, nice shots! Interesting subject. Staggering tech with very interesting history.