Trip Report: Show Me Missile Sites
First published in 2006. Reformatted 2025. Two weeks at Whiteman AFB, courtesy of my job. I flew through Kansas City International Airport (MCI), my first time at that airport. I visited Whiteman just last year, so my extracurricular activities were less extensive than on many of my trips. My fondest memory of this work trip was the afternoon I spent on the flightline; I walked the ramp photographing the hangars, with several escorts trailing me in two vehicles. At one point I was standing about 100 feet to the side of a B-2 stealth bomber with its engines running. That was a treat!Friday, 14 July 2006
Whiteman AFB MO. I made a long-overdue visit to the Oscar One launch control facility, which is now preserved as a museum. Of the 100 Minuteman launch control facilities built for the six missile wings, this is the only one constructed on the support base itself. Because O-01 was on base, dormitory rooms and a kitchen were not needed, so the Launch control building is smaller than those found out in the field. Tourist photos are allowed and encouraged, so I took plenty! O-01 exteriorHard Ultra High Frequency (UHF) antenna
Hard High Frequency (HF) transmit antenna
Trailers in compound
Ground hardware
Hard HF receive antenna
Transporter-Erector
Launch control building
Hard HF receive antenna, hard UHF antenna, van
Intake and exhaust hoods
Launch control building
Launch control building
Launch control building
Launch control building O-01 transition space (elevator shaft/stairwell, access portal area)
Looking down stairwell
Elevator shaft
Looking up stairwell
View of access portal from launch control center
Steps leading around launch control center capsule
Stenciled sign
Blast door and elevator
Close up of blast door pins
Artwork
Access portal
Access portal
Close up of blast door
View of launch control equipment building from access portal
View of launch control center from access portal
View of launch control center from access portal
View of launch control equipment building from launch control center
View of launch control center from launch control equipment building O-01 launch control equipment building
launch control equipment building
launch control equipment building
launch control equipment building
launch control equipment building
Generator O-01 launch control center
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Commander position
Commander rear view mirror
Commander console
Commander position
Close up of launch control panel
Deputy commander seat detail
Deputy commander control panel
Deputy commander console
Deputy commander (foreground) and commander (background) positions
Restroom
Escape tunnel hatch
Shock damper
Equipment and shock damper A training launch facility once stood near O-01. It was demolished but an azimuth marker post remains. You would not normally see an azimuth marker near a launch control facility, so it does look a bit out of place.
Azimuth marker with launch control building in background
Azimuth marker post
Azimuth marker post cap detail
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
On my way out of town I snagged one additional launch control facility and a few former Minuteman launch facilities. Whiteman AF Missile Site I-01 MOGeneral view from inner parking area
Launch control building
Fence with sign
General view from access road
Hard Ultra-High Frequency antenna
Launch control building
Concrete feature along access road Whiteman AF Missile Site I-02 MO
Fence, gate, and sign
General view
Sign Whiteman AF Missile Site I-11 MO
Gated access road Whiteman AF Missile Site M-03 MO
Gated access road
View from outer gate Whiteman AF Missile Site N-05 MO
General view
View from outer gate Whiteman AF Missile Site N-06 MO
Gate
View from outer gate Whiteman AF Missile Site O-09 MO
View from gate
Outer gate
View from road A pleasant drive back to MCI, turn in the rental beast, and I was homeward bound. Updated March 29, 2025
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