Several years ago we stopped by one of the silos for the Nuclear ICBMs in South Dakota. It made us think, “Lets visit the Launch Control Center”. However to visit the one run by the National Park Service in South Dakota, one needed to schedule a visit months in advance.
When we saw a launch control center, called and alert facity, located just north of Cheyenne, we remebered that we had missed stopping at one a few yers ago. We had forgot the reason why. We exited I-25, drove through a construction zone and arrived at the facitly. There was only one other car in the parking lot.
We passed by the display detailing the crew members that were assigned here and paid for our visit at the desk.
Right after paying the ranger got up and said “Lets go.”
We first entered the guard area that had clear view of the entrance gate and once had bullet proof glass.
From there we took a freight elevator to the bottom and entered the facility through the massive blast door. That door would keep out any debris and fallout from a possible Soviet attack.
One side of the facility was the support equipment including the air purification and a generator.
The other side of the underground facility had the living and work area of the crew. And unlike in the movies the keys are too far aay from each – one person cannot reach both keys.
Interested to learn about more missile sites? Check out the Assocation of Air Force Misselers