Location: Twenty miles south of Tucson off I-19.
What’s on Display: A non-working version of the Titan, which was the largest ICBM ever developed by the US
The Terrible Truth: On Oct. 26, 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a Titan II was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch was a scheduled test-firing, and the missile did not carry a nuclear warhead. Fortunately, the Soviets, whose missiles were primed for firing during the standoff, did not detect the test-firing.
Fun With Atoms: Some decommissioned ICBMs have been refurbished for use as space launch vehicles.
While You’re There: You can inspect the only remaining Titan – all 110 feet and 170 tons of it. The missile isn’t quite intact, though – it’s warhead has been removed, and holes have been cut in its fuel tank to ensure that the museum’s missile wouldn’t be counted under disarmament treaties.
