* MYTH: Don't Touch That Button! *
Probably the three best known Missile Myths are the fault of the media. These are:
- The "Button": popular movies, books, and even documentaries abound with tales of a mad scientist/terrorist/global blackmailer/etc. sitting at a console, finger poised over a shiny (sometimes flashing) button, ready for the fatal push that will launch one or all the ICBM's into flight. Piffle. This fantasy sprang from a lack of information, melded with dramatic license. In the current ICBM system, several things must be in place to launch the missiles. First, the missile must be at full alert status, with no safing devices installed, have a correctly programmed computer, and on board launch code verification devices must be correctly coded. Any one of several commands, from ANY of the 5 Launch Control Centers (LCC's) in the same squadron of 50 missiles, can change one of these factors, and make a launch impossible. Second, the President, or his surviving replacement, must release the launch codes, also known as the Universal Unlock Code. They must then be transmitted by the NCA in an Emergency War Order (EWO) message, and authenticated by the launch crews. These codes must be inserted MANUALLY into the proper devices at the LCC by the crew, and then they each must insert a key into a sealed switch unit, and turn the keys simultaneously to transmit a "launch vote". Additionally, normal launch configuration requires 2 LCC's to send launch votes in order to launch a missile. There is a way to launch with votes from a single LCC (called "sole survivor" mode), but this requires special circumstances. And again, any of the other LCC's could stop the launch. For a conspiracy to take over control of a Minuteman launch, it would require several people in key military and government positions, all working in concert. For a look at an EWO Launch checklist, click here.
- Self Destruct: This is my favorite, and also one of Hollywood's. You know, the part in the movie, where the bad guy has pushed "The Button" (see above), sending 1 or more missiles whizzing through the air to start World War III in 20 minutes or so. At the last moment, the Hero waltzes into Launch Control, and hits the "SELF DESTRUCT" switch, saving the world, getting the girl and a tickertape parade in the process. Nah! This goof came from watching NASA and military TEST launches - those DO have a self-destruct package, called a Command Destruct system; it is radio controlled, and can be activated both by the Range Safety Officer or the missile computer itself in some cases, if flight telemetry data says something is amiss. This is to prevent an off-course rocket from landing in downtown Miami or Los Angeles. Such an occurrance did happen to the Chinese with a "Long March" Rocket carrying a satellite - there was not much left of the town it hit after the rocket fuel-fed fires went out. On operational ICBM's, there is no Command Destruct package, since the last thing we would want is to have a wartime missile blown up via radio by the enemy it was aimed at, since any code can be broken eventually. Truth is, once the missile exits the silo, only God himself can stop it (until a better generation of ABM comes along, anyway).
- Scientists use ICBM's to save the Earth from an asteroid: another blatant ignoring of the facts. First of all, any rock large enough to be globally threatening is too large to be vaporized (key word!) by a Mk 12C warhead. They do an excellent job of re-arranging landscape, but not removing it. So instead of an asteroid being a large bullet aimed at us, we'd end up being hit with radioactive 00 buckshot. The latter would probably make a bigger mess. Secondly, the absolute ceiling of a Minuteman III is a mere 700 miles (lower than some satellites) - much too close to divert anything, either. Earth won't be saved by the military alone this time - NASA will have to lend a Titan IV for the job, and hope its a small rock, with lots of notice. Since ther are much more promising methods to divert an earth-aimed asteroid or comet, a rocket launched bomb is very unlikely to ever happen.
