The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History’s Heritage Park, in Albuquerque, N.M., opened a new exhibit featuring a reconstructed Peacekeeper ICBM in November. Volunteers from Kirtland AFB, N.M., have been working in their personal time over the past year to build the display missile. The team of seven volunteers, who work in the Space and Missile Systems’ Experimental Launch and Test Division, were requested by the museum for their technical expertise with the Peacekeeper. Because their day work at Kirtland involves preparing decommissioned ICBM motors for launch services offered to Defense Department contractors, the team was perfectly suited to help with the exhibit. They completely rebuilt the Peacekeeper’s first and second stage rocket motors, poured concrete pads for the display, and directed the placement of various parts of the missile. The exhibit includes three stages of the rocket, plus the post boost propulsion system, deployment module, and titanium shroud.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
