This collection consists of digital documents on one 256 GB SunDisk drive gathered by David Stumpf for his book, Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare, a detailed history of the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile program.
The Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile program has served as a component of US nuclear strategies as land-based ICBMs deployed in missile silos. The Minuteman entered service in 1962 as a deterrence weapon that could hit Soviet cities but the US Air Force modified the missile, boosting its accuracy enough to attack military targets, including Soviet missile silos. The Minuteman-II entered service in 1965 with a host of upgrades to improve its accuracy and survivability in the face of an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system the Soviets were known to be developing. In 1970, the Minuteman-III became the first deployed ICBM with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV). By the 1970s, 1,000 Minutemen were deployed as part if the US nuclear arsenal. As of 2020 the force has shrunk to under 400 Minuteman-III missiles as they will be replaced by the new Northrop Grumman Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) ICBM from 2027 onwards.
Identifier
NASM.2020.0028
Creator
Stumpf, David
Date
1970s - 2010s
Provenance
David K Stumpf, Gift, 2020, NASM.2020.0028
Extent
256 Gigabytes
Archival Repository
National Air and Space Museum Archives
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of digital documents on one 256 GB SunDisk drive gathered by David Stumpf for his book, Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare, a detailed history of the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile program.
Arrangement note
Arrangement by donor.
Rights
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Restrictions
Closed until processed.
Citation
Minuteman ICBM Program Research Data [Stumpf], NASM.2020.0028 , National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Topics
Astronautics Ballistic missiles Cold War Minuteman III Missile (LGM-30G)
