The secondary antenna was explosive-charged, that would clear the area when launched and provide another option for communication. The primary antenna was built to withstand a nearby blast and still communicate with the main command center in Salina, to receive launch codes or other necessary commands. Rockets at the time didn't rely on precise guiding systems, as they would be lobbed over a general area before exploding just above the ground. “They figured the Soviets would have to target where the missiles are, so that they wouldn’t get blown up in the process.” “They figured (the Soviet Union) would take New York, different big cities off the target list,” he said. The owner explained why the government decided to build in Kansas, instead of protecting the most populated areas directly. Outside sits a VHF communication antenna that was designed to withstand a nuclear blast within two miles, in addition to a secondary antenna, an air-intake ventilation system, a water treatment plan, an escape hatch, an alarm system and the top of the launch area that has two doors weighing 70 tons each. In 1962, the space was commissioned for use, where five men lived on the grounds in the silo and the nearby support centers, with one rotating inside the silo at a time for their 48-hour shift until the site’s closing in 1965. “It will be here for 2,000 years, probably.” “It’s epoxy concrete and 600 tons of rebar,” he said. Louis to Chicago. The construction site resembled an open pit mine. The government built the silo in about a year in 1960, using enough concrete to build a 12-foot-wide road from St. The first level of the space housed the staff while they were on their shift, including bedrooms, bathrooms with a shower, a kitchen, and a recreational area, while the second floor held all the controls. The doors protected the people inside the facility from blasts and any potential intruders. The hallway leading to the underground area was built in a zigzag pattern so that in the event of an attack, the blast would force the front door into a wall instead of hitting the people and technology inside.īefore the actual control center are two 7,000-pound doors that open to the steps leading into the launch control center. “Just like the electricity, we didn’t get too extensive because they’re not going to keep it this way.” Living deep underground “The thing is, people here are going to build it the way they want,” he said. Novitzke also emphasized their goal for the project was to get every part to be a blank slate and usable for whoever comes in next. In the summer, the highest temperature it reaches is 72. The temperature helped, as the coldest it ever got was around 60 degrees. He said the underground space weathered well over time. Novitzke also set up power and drinkable water. They made it easier to breathe, cleaned out the water, installed lighting and a septic system, and scraped away the leeching and seepage that developed from decades without use.
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