Spartan launch station closeup (2001).

• The Spartan launch station was a reinforced, rectangular concrete structure inside a missile cell (silo), 9 by 9 by 72 ft, sloping downward 5 degrees from the vertical.
• Each of the 30 Spartan launch stations had a storage chamber for the missile, an exhaust duct for gas removal during firing, and a launch preparation and equipment vault above a mechanical and electrical equipment vault (both 11.5 by 9 ft underground and used for installation/maintenance).
• The launch station cover would automatically open in tactical situations.
• Each launch station had a launch area antenna (LAA) similar to Sprint's (see 031).
• The silos had a center-to-center separation distance of 73 ft and were laid out in parallel rows. The launch station, itself, extended approximately 6 inches above ground level.
• Photo by Ron Plante.