USA/SD: Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site preserves the last remaining Minuteman II ICBM missile from the Cold War era of mutually-assured destruction. The historic complex consists of three different location – the visitor center, the control center, and the actual missile silo with a missile. At the height of the Cold War, there were 150 silos like this around South Dakota (just one missile field of many), all spread out and super secret. The idea was that even after a massive Soviet strike, some missile silos would survive and launch a retaliatory attack. The silo, known as launch facility Delta Nine (D-09) was constructed in 1963. The missile weighed 33 tons and had a strike range of 7,000 mi (11,000 km). Minuteman II missile were all destroyed in the 1990s, but not to worry – about 500 newer Minuteman III are still ready to launch.
