Minuteman I

missile

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June 30, 2026

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The Minuteman I was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that served as a cornerstone of the United States' land-based nuclear arsenal starting in the 1960s. It was the first ICBM to utilize solid fuels, making it safer and quicker to activate than liquid-fueled missiles. Unlike previous U.S. ICBMs stored on aboveground pads, the Minuteman I was housed in underground silos. This missile was later succeeded by the Minuteman II and Minuteman III, which featured improved range, multiple warheads, and enhanced guidance systems to counter Soviet defenses. The Minuteman program has since been modernized, with the current U.S. ICBM force consisting of Minuteman III missiles.1

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Minuteman missile
The Minuteman I was first deployed in 1962. This 17-metre (56-foot), three-staged missile was the first ICBM to use solid fuels, which are safer and more quickly activated than liquid fuels. It was also the first U.S. ICBM to be based in underground silos. (Previous missiles…
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The Minuteman I was first deployed in 1962. This 17-metre (56-foot), three-staged missile was the first ICBM to use solid fuels, which are safer and more quickly activated than liquid fuels. It was also the first U.S. ICBM to be based in underground silos. (Previous missiles…
Read More

rocket and missile system
From liquid to solid fuel
system was the Minuteman I. This ICBM, conceived originally as a rail-mobile system, was deployed in silos in 1962, became operational the following year, and was phased out by 1973. The first Soviet solid-fueled ICBM was the SS-13 Savage, which became operational in 1969. This missile could carry…
Read More
system was the Minuteman I. This ICBM, conceived originally as a rail-mobile system, was deployed in silos in 1962, became operational the following year, and was phased out by 1973. The first Soviet solid-fueled ICBM was the SS-13 Savage, which became operational in 1969. This missile could carry…
Read More