From missiles to mining

Fri Jan 29 – Visited the Titan Missile Museum in nearby Sahuarita and used our Tucson Passport again (2 for 1 admission again). What a trip back in time! Suddenly it was the late 60’s or early 70’s. We were reminded of the “Cold War” with its bomb shelters, the Berlin Wall and weekly tests of the Emergency Broadcast System. In schools at that time we were told to “duck and cover” which meant hide under your desk during a nuclear attack. (Yeah, that’s going to work!) Until 1987, when the last Titan II was deactivated, 54 of these missile complexes across the US stood “on alert” 24/7. They have all been destroyed except this one which is now a museum.

The 103-foot tall Titan II missile is clearly visible in the silo. The nine-megaton thermonuclear warhead, of course, has been removed.

We climbed down 55 steps and through the 3-ton blast doors to the underground launch control center, 35 feet below ground, where our guide conducted a simulated missile launch.

The silo walls are 8 feet thick. The entire underground complex is mounted on giant springs and the pipes and wiring have loops of slack built in to minimize damage in case of a nuclear explosion nearby.

If this missile ever was fired, the silo would be destroyed completely. It’s a one-shot deal.











The cover over the silo is opened by pulling it along two railroad tracks. Huge concrete blocks have been placed over the tracks to prevent it from being opened more than halfway. This is so our enemies can fly over and see that the US is complying with the nuclear disarmament agreement.

There is an extra sign above the entrance which says “watch for rattlesnakes.” This below-ground doorway is nice and cool in the hot summer.

There was a complex series of codes and keys and procedures to ensure that no unauthorized person could gain access to this facility. Regulations stated that there must always be two people present in most areas of the facility. This was to prevent sabotage or unauthorized activity. This was once one of the country’s most top secret places and is now a National Historic Landmark.    Very impressive!!




Sat Jan 20 – Went to the ASARCO Mission Mining Complex which used to be called the Pima Mine because it was started by the Pima Indians. It is a modern open pit copper mine. Arizona has many copper mines and is the second largest producer of copper in the world. The ore at this mine is only 0.67% copper which means every ton of ore yields about 13 pounds of copper. But every ton of ore also requires 3 tons of waste rock to be removed. The mine operates 24/7. They blast every day at 4 p.m.

We stood on the edge of the open pit which is 2 miles wide and 2 ½ miles long. At this distance the huge trucks and shovels look like toys. The huge trucks can carry up to 320 tons. The giant shovels can load a truck in 3 or 4 passes. The shovels are operated with electricity. They each have a long “extension cord” that is about 2 inches in diameter. As you can imagine, they go through a lot of tires. These huge tires cost about $45,000 each. The truck Jim is standing by is one of the older, smaller ones no longer in use.

All the trucks and shovels are tracked by a central computerized system to maximize efficiency. Because of the weight they are hauling, all roads in the mine are limited to a 9% grade. When going downhill with a load the truck’s rear wheels can actually turn backwards for braking power.


The copper ore goes through a series of grinders at the mill and then, using chemicals and flotation tanks ends up as a fine powder that is 28% copper. At this point it is sent to the smelter in Texas.

Cactus garden at the mine.