Minuteman Rocket
The Minuteman, like the Atlas and the Titan, is an Air Force surface-to-surface
intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5500 nautical miles. It can be
fired for shorter distances by dropping off one or more of its three stages while
in flight. All three stages are equipped with solid-fuel rocket engines.
The Minuteman, which has a top speed of over 15,000 miles per hour, is about 60 feet long and 6 feet in diameter and weighs approximately 65,000 pounds. The first stage alone has a thrust of 160,000 pounds.
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Some Minutemen will be stored in bomb-proof shelters beneath the ground, ready for instant firing. Others will be based on railroad cars which will roam the country's thousands of miles of railroad tracks. This not only makes the weapon mobile but also helps to keep it safe from surprise attack by enemy forces.
This missile made its first successful test flight of more than 4,000 miles on
February 1, 1961.