Missile Base Specialists

Atlas F

The Silo

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Atlas Fs were built in the late '50's and early '60's, activated in 1961 and, after a short operational period, were decommissioned in 1965. These were the first of the "super hardened" missile silos, built to withstand a 200 pound-per-square-inch blast. These are some of the most hardened structures man has ever built. Construction costs (structure only) range from $14-18 million in 1960's dollars; in today's equivalent, that is at least $100 Million dollars!

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General Layout & Features

Launch Control Center (LCC)

​The LCC is a smaller cylindrical underground chamber with two stories. It housed the launch control center and the barracks. It was connected to the Missile Silo with a 40' tunnel. Today, this is the area that holds promise for development into a home or other usable space.​

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Missile Silo

The missile silo is a huge structure with a 52' inside diameter and is approximately 180' deep. The silo has three blast doors leading from the LCC. To launch the missile, two overhead 90-ton doors would be opened hydraulically. Originally, there were seven floors built inside the silo. Today, most of the Atlas F silos have been salvaged leaving only the structural walls. One way the silos are now being developed is to rebuild some or all of the floors. Each level would have approximately 2,000 square feet.

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The Land

Plot sizes vary greatly due to post-government division. The typical minimum is 5 acres, although some are still deeded with the original 10-22 acres the government purchased. Originally, the inner 5 acres around the launch area were surrounded by 8' tall high-security chain link fence topped with barbed wire. There were originally two 40' x' 100' Quonset buildings on the sites. Though most of the buildings have been removed, the concrete pads often remain. An antenna silo also exists on the grounds. It measures 8' in diameter and 29' deep.