Ibrahim 2 Jupiter Missiles, Turkey
1961-1962

Erecting the Jupiter Missile and Configuring the Site

by
George Smith

To view these photos, click on its thumbnail image to the left and a larger rendition will appear in your browser window. To return to this page when finished viewing the larger image, click on your browser's "BACK" or "RETURN" button. Note: All images were taken and are copyrighted by George L. Smith of Lakewood, CO (HLS Systems, Inc.) and are protected by Digimarc embedded codes. Slide dates are provided only. Actual dates of these occurrences may be a few weeks to a month or so earlier. There are additional photos to be published soon...please check back when you can.
 
1. The first stages of erecting the Jupiter Missile. A hinged launch pedestal is attached on the bottom of the missile, and various "A" frames would route cables to enable missile erection. As the missile erection begins, a "snubber," a hydraulic "pole," is connected to the top-end of the bottom of the missile, just above the thrust chamber, to ease the missile into its upright position. Don't want that missile tipping over once it reaches its upright position! Notice the gold foil surrounding the thrust chamber? It's designed to ward off heat, etc. Slide dated October 1961.
2. The Jupiter is about half way to its normal vertical configuration. Slide dated October 1961.
3. Monitoring the Jupiter Missile erection process. Slide date October 1961.
4. As the Jupiter gets close to its vertical position the supervisor connects the "snubber" to the missile launch base's receptacle. The snubber is a hydraulic piston which lets the missile down slowly, keeping it from tumbling over. Slide dated October 1961.
5. Waiting for the signal from the supervisor that the snubber is attached to the base of the missile. That's George Smith (me) in the white jacket gawking around. Slide dated October 1961.
6. With the snubber attached, the Jupiter very slowly continues on its path to obtaining vertical configuration. Slide dated October 1961.
7. The Jupiter is almost in its vertical state at this point. You can see the cables pulling the missile to its upright position. Slide dated October 1961.
8. The Jupiter has reached its vertical configuration. Erection equipment can now be disassembled and removed from the area. Slide dated October 1961.
9. Cables slack, results being checked. Jupiter is upright. Slide dated October 1961.
10. An erected Jupiter, cables slack, final operational configuration. Aimed at the sky and ready to go...after the guidance package gets tweaked and the warhead gets attached. Slide dated October 1961.
11. This photo shows a Jupiter emplacement that's almost completed. You can see some of the various support vans to it's left. In addition to the Mobile Launch Control Trailer, there was a 6000 gallon RP-1 fuel tanker and three 4000 gallon Liquid Oxygen tankers (used to fuel the Jupiter just before launch). There were also two generator trucks, a power distribution truck, short and long-range theodolites, and a hydraulic and pneumatic truck.
12. You can see where the fuel lines enter the missile in this photo, near the base of the missile. It took about 15 minutes to fuel the missile, which would be accomplished just prior to launch. I heard a story much later on that on one of the 5 sites there was a package of bolts, protected by cosmoline, left inside one of the fuel lines after the site had been completed. Had the LOX came into contact with that, there may well have been an explosion on the ground, destroying the missile and equipment in the vicinity. Slide dated March 1962.
13. Checking out communications and electrical functions from either an Electrical or Launch Control Trailer. Slide dated October 1961.
14. Here's a photo of our "Cherry Picker," being used by one of the technicians working on the guidance package section of the missile. Unfortunately, the truck was out of gas, as was the site, which meant the tech had a lengthy visit up there. The refueling truck was on its way, somewhere in the mountains. It was several hours before we could get the technician back down! Slide dated October 1961.
15. A dream of any 19-year old is to drive a huge forklift such as this puppy! Some fun! That's George Smith (me) behind the wheel tooling around the site. Actually, I was bringing it over to one of the missiles (there were 3 each per site). If I recall correctly, it was time to install either a part of or the whole guidance package. Slide dated February 1962.
16. Cherry Picker lifts technicians to the guidance package section of the Jupiter. You can also see here the 12 or so "flower petal" enclosures half open around the base of the missile.
17. Jupiter Missile with bottom "flower petal" enclosure half-way opened. Slide date December 1961.
18. Ibrahim 2 Jupiter Missile at Dusk, Turkey. Slide date December 1961.
19. A winter night-time shot of a Jupiter's flower petal enclosure secured around the base of the missile. Slide dated December 1961.
20. George L. Smith standing in front of erected Jupiter missile in its upright configuration. This was a cold winter day on this particular mountain site. One wouldn't have guessed that it snows and gets cold in Turkey, but it certainly did here! The "flower petal" enclosure is shown in its "closed" configuration, thus providing protection from the elements to the missile and crew who would be working inside. Slide dated December 1961.
21. As luck would have it, I was on travel this day when the photographers showed up to take a team photo in front of one of our birds. The thumbnail opens up a reasonably-sized image. For a larger, full-size image, click HERE.


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