Martin Marietta LGM-25A Titan I
Fear that the Atlas ICBM would fail led the USAF to request a second liquid-fueled ICBM in case the Atlas ran into problems. Martin was given the contract to develop the B-68 (later LGM-25) Titan I in 1956. The project suffered from the constant threat of cancellation, as it was expensive and the Atlas was seen to be adequate enough. the launch of Sputnik I ended those threats in 1957, though development of the Titan I was marred by a number of early and spectacular launch explosions.
The Titan I got through these issues and began to be deployed in 1960. The missile did have many of the issues common to early ICBMs: it was not accurate (which required large megaton-level warheads to be carried, and it was mainly targeted at easy to hit cities), it took up to 15 minutes to be fueled (which made it vulnerable to a first strike), and the fuel was highly volatile. Nonetheless, about 100 Titan Is were produced, and provided valuable experience for later ICBMs. It was quickly retired by 1965 in favor of the more reliable Titan II and the solid-fueled Minuteman series.
When the Titans initially went into service, they were assigned numbers just like aircraft in USAF service, so this is 61-4523. The missile was deployed at Ellsworth AFB as part of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing and later the 44th Strategic Missile Wing. The 850th SMS did not last long: it was deactivated along with the Titan Is with the arrival of the Minuteman IA ICBMs in 1965. Since 61-4523 was intended as a spare missile and never fueled, it was kept as a museum piece.
Despite the Titan Is being retired in 1965, 61-4523 did not go on display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum until 2016, after a long period of cleaning and restoration. One of the factors in the long delay was the lack of actual Titan I reentry vehicles (as a spare, 61-4523 never had one), nearly all of which had been destroyed in the 1960s; a mockup had to be built. It was finally displayed "all-up" in 2017. It is displayed horizontally instead of vertically to reduce wind damage to the missile.
Martin Marietta LGM-25A Titan I
Fear that the Atlas ICBM would fail led the USAF to request a second liquid-fueled ICBM in case the Atlas ran into problems. Martin was given the contract to develop the B-68 (later LGM-25) Titan I in 1956. The project suffered from the constant threat of cancellation, as it was expensive and the Atlas was seen to be adequate enough. the launch of Sputnik I ended those threats in 1957, though development of the Titan I was marred by a number of early and spectacular launch explosions.
The Titan I got through these issues and began to be deployed in 1960. The missile did have many of the issues common to early ICBMs: it was not accurate (which required large megaton-level warheads to be carried, and it was mainly targeted at easy to hit cities), it took up to 15 minutes to be fueled (which made it vulnerable to a first strike), and the fuel was highly volatile. Nonetheless, about 100 Titan Is were produced, and provided valuable experience for later ICBMs. It was quickly retired by 1965 in favor of the more reliable Titan II and the solid-fueled Minuteman series.
When the Titans initially went into service, they were assigned numbers just like aircraft in USAF service, so this is 61-4523. The missile was deployed at Ellsworth AFB as part of the 850th Strategic Missile Squadron, initially assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing and later the 44th Strategic Missile Wing. The 850th SMS did not last long: it was deactivated along with the Titan Is with the arrival of the Minuteman IA ICBMs in 1965. Since 61-4523 was intended as a spare missile and never fueled, it was kept as a museum piece.
Despite the Titan Is being retired in 1965, 61-4523 did not go on display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum until 2016, after a long period of cleaning and restoration. One of the factors in the long delay was the lack of actual Titan I reentry vehicles (as a spare, 61-4523 never had one), nearly all of which had been destroyed in the 1960s; a mockup had to be built. It was finally displayed "all-up" in 2017. It is displayed horizontally instead of vertically to reduce wind damage to the missile.