The first ICBM to be developed and deployed by the United States,
the Atlas had a range of 5500 nautical miles and could achieve a
speed of 15,500 mph. Depending on configuration, it could be
equipped with either a W-49 (1.45 megaton) or W-38 (4.5 megaton)
thermonuclear warhead. The Atlas' development can be traced to a
series of research and development studies performed in the wake of
WWII by the Convair company. These led to the company winning a
contract in 1951 for a long range missile. The three-engine XSM-65A
design that eventually emerged featured a thin skin, inflated by
internal fuel pressure like a balloon, and had "one and a half"
stages. In this configuration, both the main booster and sustainer
engines ignited at lift-off, with the boosters dropped in flight.
(This unique feature was intended to make certain the sustainer
engine could fire at high altitudes, something later determined to
not be a problem). The missile burned kerosene and liquid oxygen
fuel, and relied on a radio-command / inertial guidance
system.After some teething problems including the loss of the
prototype Atlas, the missile flew successfully on December 17,
1957. A little under two years later, the first USAF Atlas ICBM
squadron consisting of three missiles on unprotected pads was
activated at Vandenburg AFB. Subsequent deployments featured
hardened "coffins" in which the missile would be stored
horizontally. After a launch order was issued, the Atlas would be
raised, fueled, and launched - a hazardous process that took about
fifteen minutes. The system's inherent vulnerability and long
reaction time eventually led the Air Force to construct silos
similar to those used with the Titan I, which lowered the response
time considerably. The use of volatile fuel mixtures in the
confined silo environment proved to be extremely dangerous however,
and led to four catastrophic accidents. As second generation
missiles came on the scene such as the Titan II and Minuteman,
Atlas became obsolete. By April 1965, all Atlas ICBMs were phased
out. At the peak 129 of the missiles were deployed, and nearly 350
were built during the program. Many of these would be recycled as
launch vehicles for satellites. Notably, members of the Atlas
family placed four of America's Mercury astronauts in orbit.Created
by the Air Force for the men who stood "on alert" with the Atlas,
this technical manual contains descriptions of the HGM-16F missile,
launch complex, handling and transport, checkout and launch
operations, emergency procedures, and more. Originally restricted,
it has been declassified and is reprinted here in book form. Some
portions have been reformatted, but care has been taken to preserve
the integrity of the text.
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