How to Launch a Nuclear Missile
How to Launch a Nuclear Missile
What was the procedure to launch a nuclear missile?
Uranium premieres: July 28 \u0026 29 on PBS at 10pm ET/ 9pm Central
France and Germany: July 31 at 10pm on ZDF/arte
Norway: August 5 \u0026 6 at 21:30 on NRK2
Australia: August 9, 16, 23 at 8:30pm on SBS
Sweden: TBD
Middle East: TBD
For more information on other screenings go to
https://www.facebook.com/uraniumtwist…
www.genepoolproductions.com
A big thank you to The Titan Missile Museum, Yvonne and Chuck.
http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/
Space footage courtesy of NASA
Content
1.76 -> During the Cold War the US and the Soviet Union
had to build underground silos to house
7.86 -> nuclear missiles that could be launched
at a few minutes notice.
11.36 -> Now, one of the technical challenges they had
to overcome that you might not think of
14.28 -> is acoustics.
16.1 -> Launching a missile in such a confined silo generates
19.58 -> a loud sound, so loud that it would've
shaken apart the missiles
23.44 -> before they could even launch.
25.36 -> So the walls of the inside of the silo had to be covered
28.88 -> in acoustically absorbent tiles,
30.98 -> very similar to those in the world's quietest room.
34.9 -> But after all of the technical challenges were sorted,
38.52 -> what I wanted to know was
'how could they have launched these missiles
42.32 -> very quickly, if needed, but also never by accident?'
46.88 -> So I visited one of these Titan missile silos
in the Arizona desert
50.74 -> to find out exactly what it would have taken
to launch a nuclear missile.
58.46 -> Well, Derek this is level 2 of the silo, we are
down some 10 meters below the surface now.
65 -> And this...
67.02 -> is the launch duct.
73.62 -> — Wow.
— And that is Titan II.
76.42 -> The largest and most powerful missile weapons system
ever deployed by the United States.
82.52 -> And what kind of bomb is in there?
84.08 -> That is a thermonuclear bomb.
86.28 -> It is a 9 megaton weapon.
88.04 -> Compared to Hiroshima?
89.88 -> Oh, call it 650 times.
93.62 -> An enormously powerful weapon.
96.2 -> And what was the idea with it?
98.1 -> The idea behind Titan II was to instill
enough fear in the mind of the enemy,
104.52 -> to cause them to think twice about launching an attack against us.
108.52 -> Knowing that 10 meters below the desert in our fortified concrete bunker,
113.82 -> we could ride out their first strike, and live to retaliate,
if we're forced to do that,
119.18 -> the consequences for the enemy
would be so unspeakably horrible
123.42 -> that maybe they would prefer not to
get into it with us in the first place.
126.96 -> That's the essence of deterrence.
129.92 -> This missile is no longer active,
but the launch system is preserved.
134.14 -> And I wanted an insight into how it felt
to control this incredible power.
139.76 -> Can we go launch one?
142.26 -> I thought you'd never ask!
148.22 -> There were 54 of these silos, each one
staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
154.96 -> Ready to launch their missiles on the exclusive order of
the President of the United States.
160.66 -> Alright then, have a seat here Commander.
163.24 -> Thank you.
165.14 -> So, this is the control center, this is where
the crew waited to launch the missile.
169.24 -> And how do we know when we need to launch?
171.7 -> [Speaker beeping]
174.84 -> On radio: 'Alpha, 2, 3, Charlie, Hotel, Victor'
(A23CHV)
180.54 -> So, we're going to write down every letter and number
that we hear in a form in this notebook.
184.6 -> I'm going to write it down in this notebook.
187.04 -> We'll compare each other's work.
If we agree that we've copied the message correctly,
190.78 -> then we have what's called a 'valid message,'
192.88 -> and authorization to take our lock off the big red safe.
195.48 -> You know your combination, I know mine,
we don't know each other,
198.12 -> so we both have to agree to get inside.
200.36 -> Inside we find authenticator cards.
201.94 -> I'll give those to you.
204.2 -> In the secret message, they sent us
a seven-character code word.
207.68 -> We're going to look at the first two letters of
the code word, we're going to find the authenticator
210.58 -> that has those first two letters.
211.88 -> If the card here matches the code word they sent us,
then this is a legitimate order to go.
217.7 -> That gives us permission to put in our launch keys.
I've already put them in for us.
220.94 -> Key right here for you, commander.
And for me there's a key right over here.
225.02 -> The keys are far enough apart that not even
a long-armed guy like me can reach them both.
229.14 -> The keys must be turned within 2 seconds of each other
231.66 -> and held, they're spring loaded,
233.76 -> so held for 5 seconds to start the launch.
236.38 -> That guarantees that two people
will be required to do it.
239.24 -> You just can't run back and forth and do it yourself.
241.24 -> And last but not least, we need
the secret unlock code for the missle.
245.12 -> Six little wheels. Each little wheel
has 16 letters of the alphabet.
251.64 -> Nominally 17 million combinations.
254.48 -> Only one will operate the missile.
256.6 -> This is the fail safe that prevents an unauthorized
or accidental launch of the missle.
261.64 -> So once we have all those things:
authentication, keys, code, we're good to go.
266.74 -> — All set?
— Let's do it.
268.16 -> Give me a countdown, "3-2-1 Turn keys",
we'll send this thing on it's way.
271.5 -> After you comander.
273.5 -> 3...
274.22 -> 2...
275.04 -> 1...
275.9 -> Turn keys.
278 -> And hold.
280.96 -> Okay, you may release.
282.48 -> That's all there is to it.
284.16 -> The green light turns on. Its says "Launch enable".
287.48 -> For all intents and purposes,
that should say "Welcome to World War III"
292.28 -> Because that's pretty much what it boils down to.
293.9 -> When you turn the key you are committed.
There is no "Oops" switch anywhere.
298.66 -> When the batteries come to full power,
the missile will transfer to internal power,
302.14 -> meaning that it is fully independent.
304.38 -> About that same time, the silo door starts to slide open.
311.5 -> It will slide through security radar beams
and set off the alarm.
316.38 -> That gives us "Silo Soft".
318.44 -> "Guidance Go" means the internal guidance computer
has full control of the mission.
322.22 -> In a few seconds we'll have main engine start.
326.6 -> From engine start we will build up thrust.
329.3 -> Pump the hold down bolts.
331.86 -> And off you go.
333.38 -> Into the wild we know.
347.56 -> So that's it? We just basically just ended life on Earth.
352.66 -> As you know it.
364.64 -> In these silos, the Titan missiles
had a terrifying purpose.
368.36 -> But they were also put to much better uses,
minus their war-head of course.
373.3 -> For example, the Voyager spacecraft was launched
into space atop a Titan III missile.
378.64 -> And Neil Armstrong took his first
flight into space atop a Titan II.
382.88 -> The exact same missile that would have delivered
nuclear warheads to the Soviet Union.
387.9 -> So the Cold War didn't only bring us this fear
and potential of mutually assured destruction,
394.14 -> it also made space exploration possible.
398.76 -> Now I want to say thank you to everyone for writing in
to request that this documentary be played in your area.
404.3 -> Thanks to you, we've managed to get it broadcast
in Norway, Sweden and the Middle East.
409.32 -> And details are in the description, so check it out.
411.76 -> For everyone else, the documentray will be
available online via our broadcasters
417.84 -> though there may be some geo-blocking restrictions.
420.02 -> But I'm pretty confident that anyone who wants to see
the documentary will be able to via those means.
426.76 -> So I hope you watch it, I hope you enjoy it.
It premiers in just a few days in the US.
431.74 -> That's July 28th:
10pm Eastern, 9 Central.
436.2 -> For more details check out links in the description.
438.62 -> I hope you check it out and I really hope you enjoy it. I appreciate so much your support.
443.1 -> It means everything to me.
So again, thanks for watching.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knDIENvBTgw