LGM-25C Titan II

The Titan II was a very important missile made by the Glenn L. Martin Company. It started as a big weapon called an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), designed to carry powerful tools very far. Later, people changed the Titan II 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 the successor to the Titan I, with double the payload. Unlike the Titan I, it used hydrazine‑based hypergolic propellant which was storable and reliably ignited. This reduced time to launch and permitted it to be launched from its silo. Titan II carried the largest single warhead of any American ICBM.

The missile consists of a two-stage, rocket engine powered vehicle and a re-entry vehicle (RV). Stage I and Stage II vehicles each contain propellant and pressurization, rocket engine, hydraulic and electrical systems, and explosive components. In addition, Stage II contains the flight control system and missile guidance system. Stage I contained three gyros and the Autopilot. The Autopilot attempted to keep the missile straight during first stage flight and sent commands to the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) on the 2nd stage.

The Titan II was in service from 1963 to 1987. There were originally 54 Titan II Strategic Air Command missiles. The 54 Titan II missiles were on 24-hour continuous alert with 18 missiles each surrounding 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, with nine in each smaller group. 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 and used for different purposes. Some were tested, while others helped launch important spacecraft. Today, a few of these missiles can be seen in museums across the United States.

Several missiles are displayed 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 just for launching into space or were old missiles that were updated for space use. All twelve Gemini space capsules, including ten with people inside, were launched using Titan II rockets.

The Titan II could carry about 1,900 kg into a low orbit around Earth. It had two stages with special engines to make it work. In the 1980s, the Air Force started using old Titan II missiles for space launches. These were called Titan 23G. The first launch happened in 1988. NASA used a Titan 23G to launch a spacecraft in 1994. All these launches took place 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 between 1962 and 2003, with 25 of those for space missions.