LGM-25C Titan II

The Titan II was an important missile made by the Glenn L. Martin Company. It started as a big weapon called an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), made to carry powerful tools very far. Later, the Titan II was changed so it could lift things into space instead of being a weapon. These space versions were called Titan II GLV and Titan 23G.

The Titan II helped launch many important machines into orbit for the United States Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some of these machines watched the weather, like the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and NOAA weather satellites. It also carried NASA's Gemini space capsules with astronauts inside.

These space launches happened from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Titan II kept helping with space missions until it stopped flying in 2003.

Titan II missile

Part of the Titan rocket family, the Titan II ICBM was an improved version of the Titan I. It could carry twice the payload. The Titan II used hydrazine-based hypergolic propellant, which could be stored and reliably ignited. This made it faster to launch and allowed it to be launched from its silo. The Titan II had the largest single warhead of any American ICBM.

The missile has two stages and is powered by rocket engines. It also has a re-entry vehicle (RV). Each stage contains propellant, a rocket engine, and other systems. The second stage includes the flight control and guidance systems. The first stage had three gyros and an Autopilot to keep the missile straight.

The Titan II was used from 1963 to 1987. There were originally 54 Titan II Strategic Air Command missiles. These missiles were always ready to launch, with 18 missiles each at three bases: Davis–Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, Arizona, Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, and McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.

Operational units

Each group of Titan II missiles had eighteen missiles, split into two smaller groups of nine. These missiles were placed in different spots near their bases.

The Titan II missiles were used by several groups, including:

• The 308th Strategic Missile Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, from April 1, 1962, to August 18, 1987.
• The 381st Strategic Missile Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, from March 1, 1962, to August 8, 1986.
• The 390th Strategic Missile Wing at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, from January 1, 1962, to July 31, 1984.
• The 1st Strategic Aerospace Division at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, which operated the 395th Strategic Missile Squadron from February 1, 1959, to December 31, 1969.

A plan to build a fifth group at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, was never built.

Titan II missile disposition

Many Titan II missiles were built for different jobs. Some were tested, and others helped launch important spacecraft. Today, a few of these missiles can be seen in museums in the United States.

Some missiles are on show at places like the Titan Missile Museum in Arizona, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Alabama, and the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio. These displays help people learn about the history of space and missile technology.

Titan II launch vehicle

Main articles: Titan (rocket family), Titan II GLV, and Titan 23G

The Titan II space-launch vehicles were built for space missions or were old missiles changed for space use. All twelve Gemini space capsules, including ten with people inside, used Titan II rockets to fly.

The Titan II could carry about 1,900 kg into low orbit around Earth. It had two stages with special engines. In the 1980s, the Air Force used old Titan II missiles for space launches. These were called Titan 23G. The first launch was in 1988. NASA used a Titan 23G to launch a spacecraft in 1994. All these launches happened at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The last Titan II launch was in 2003, sending up a weather satellite. In total, 282 Titan II rockets were launched from 1962 to 2003, with 25 of those for space missions.