Antenna
Terminal
The
Antenna Terminal connects the 2 antenna silos within which were housed
small radar dome antennas for tracking and guiding the missile along
it's trajectory. There were 2 antennas to provide redundancy in
case of failure. Single points of failure are not popular with
the military and so this provision was made along with the ability of
the Titan complexes to "hand off" guidance and control of
any missile at any complex in the wing to allow it to be launched
remotely.
That
is, if critical failures of say, the guidance antennas of one site
brought it off alert, any other site could use their own Control
Center and antennas to launch and guide the missile so they would not
be left dead in the water.
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Fig.
8 Antenna Terminal
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The
silos are about 37' in diameter and about 75' deep. Each silo is
protected by a set of massive two-leaf concrete doors which would
shield the antennas in their hardened state. The antennas
themselves consist of a ra-dome with inflatable canvas domes which
are expanded by a blower (squirrel cage type fan) when in use.
When
needed, an antenna would be raised to the surface hydraulically on its
platform. Only one antenna would be raised at any one time to
prevent both being disabled in an attack. The antenna was raised
on a single hydraulic ram that extended some 25 feet below the floor
level of the silo. The antenna itself and much of it's support
equipment was suspended on a platform that could move and sway to
suppress shock.
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Fig.
9 Antenna Terminal - Detail
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A
first look into the Antenna Terminal. The aisle ahead was once
lined with racks of guidance equipment.
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Tunnel
section connecting the 2 silos. You may be wondering: "Hmm.
I bet hitting my head on that jagged pipe while not wearing a hard hat
would probably hurt."
The
answer: HELL YES!
Remember
folks, always wear your safety gear when visiting an old missile complex
for the Titans are vengeful and will seize any opportunity to damage or
dismember you.
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Sections
of the antenna tunnel, despite their age, look quite well. This
is not one of them, but it does show some of the steel targets left
behind by defense contractors. These constructions were used for
ballistics tests where weapons were fired down this long tunnel.
This sort of junk littered the main junction, Powerhouse and parts of
the Control Center.
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One
of the intrepid silo gnomes heading for an antenna silo.
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Each
antenna silo had a blast door like the ones found in the blast locks
protecting the complex from a nearby blast should the antenna be
deployed topside rendering the silo "soft". Like all the
other blast doors, these still swung easily open and closed after
decades without lubrication.
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The
lower platform of the antenna where the hydraulic pump and accumulator
and other equipment were located. Note the hole in the center of
the structure to allow for the hydraulic ram to pass.
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Moving
along...
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If
you look closely at this picture you will find a beer bottle.
Hmmm... This area is a good 20 feet above the floor with no stable
access anymore.
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I'm
still surprised by the tidiness of this area. The only corrosion
is around the weld joins in the corrugated liner.
Antenna
Terminal Cont.
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