America’s Nuclear Doomsday Button Sat Quietly Under This South Dakota Farmland for Decades

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site

Between Rapid City and the Badlands, the National Park Service maintains a piece of Cold War history: the Minuteman missile sites.

These former nuclear facilities show how crews operated America’s missile system for three decades, with original equipment and living quarters still intact.

How Powerful Was the Missile?

The Minuteman missile at Delta-09 packed a serious punch, with a nuclear warhead (yielded 1.2 megatons of TNT) 60 times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb.

It was monitored remotely from the Launch Control Center and could fly at 15,000 miles per hour and accurately hit targets up to 7,500 miles away.

The warhead by itself weighed 700 pounds, while the complete missile weighed 65,000 pounds – about as much as six school buses.

What Was Life Like Underground?

Access to the LCC was through an elevator that descended 60 feet underground. The crew worked in a capsule that hung on four massive shock absorbers, like a giant underground bunker.

They had basic comforts: a small kitchenette, a toilet, and several places to sleep. The room stayed at exactly 68 degrees while filters kept the air clean.

Two people worked together during each shift, which usually lasted 24 hours but could stretch to 72 hours in bad weather.

How Did They Keep the Site Safe?

The site’s Improved Minuteman Physical Security System, installed in 1989, helped detect outside intrusion through a white fiberglass monopole antenna.

Massive blast doors protected the control center, and you needed special codes to open it.

Motion detectors watched the grounds. Upon detection of a potential intrusion, a capsule team in the Launch Control Center would relay messages to field security controllers.

How Would They Launch the Missile?

The launch sequence was designed to be executed swiftly, completing in under five minutes to ensure rapid response capability.

Two officers had to turn their launch keys at the same time, and the keys were 12 feet apart to prevent one person from launching alone.

Before launch, the crews had to cross-check several codes, confirm the target details, and get approval from other missile sites.

What Was the Defense Strategy Like?

The Minuteman missile system was designed with a “bed of nails” defense strategy. It dispersed numerous silos (three or four 50-missile squadrons) to confuse enemy targets.

Each Minuteman squadron was further divided into five “flights,” with each flight consisting of a single manned launch control facility linked to ten unmanned underground missile silos.

During test launches, the missiles were equipped with flight termination systems that allow controllers to safely abort the mission in case of anomalies.

How Did They Stay in Touch with Command?

The missile sites utilized multiple redundant communication systems to ensure reliable contact with the National Command Authorities.

A unique radio antenna could push up from underground to receive orders from the president. They had several backup ways to communicate, including special phone lines and a system that used low-frequency radio waves.

Beyond SLFCS and UHF systems, missile sites integrated satellite communication terminals to diversify their communication capabilities.

What Kind Amenities Did They Have?

LCCs were equipped with diesel-powered emergency generators to ensure continuous power supply.

The kitchen had special military food that could last for years, and they kept water in tanks that nothing could contaminate.

They had basic first aid items, antiseptics, and medicines for radiation sickness. To help cope with isolation, the unit even had playing cards and board games for managing their mental health.

How Did They Move Such a Big Missile?

Special trucks called Transporter Erectors (107,150 pounds when loaded with a missile) did the heavy lifting. These huge vehicles could carry the 65,000-pound missile and carefully stand it up in the silo.

The missile had to line up perfectly in the silo, so they used special equipment to prevent damage during the move. The whole process took several hours and needed experts to do it right.

Could the Site Survive a Nuclear Attack?

The control center was built like a fortress, buried approximately 31 feet underground and surrounded by two feet of reinforced steel that could take a nuclear blast.

Special springs absorbed shock waves, and the walls could deflect blast pressure. During an attack, special valves would close automatically to seal the air vents.

An escape hatch, 3 feet in diameter, at the far end of the LCC, was designed with a sand-filled tunnel if the main access was compromised.

What Training Did the Crew Need?

The missileers underwent intensive training before assuming their roles. They began with a 13-week Undergraduate Missile Training (UMT) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, after which they completed Unit Qualification Training (UQT) at their assigned base, learning site-specific operations over 3-4 weeks.

To maintain readiness, they trained monthly in simulated launch exercises and underwent regular evaluations. For Top Secret security clearance, they had to memorize hundreds of protocols and could be tested weekly.

How Did They Close Down the Site?

Shutting down the site in 1991 took several months of careful work after the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) took effect. Special teams took out the nuclear warhead and secret equipment following strict safety rules.

While 800 pounds of explosives were used to demolish silos under START I, others were partially filled with concrete.

You can still see many original parts of the site today, though none of them work anymore.