Subscribe now

Technology

Crawling robots will survey ageing US nuclear missile silos

Decades-old US silos holding Minuteman III missiles that have been a key nuclear deterrent since the 1970s will be assessed by robots that can crawl straight up walls

By David Hambling

12 December 2022

TOKA robot checking a missile silo

A TOKA robot from Gecko Robotics ascending a sheer wall in a US missile silo

Gecko Robotics

Robots are going to be employed to crawl over nuclear missile silos in the US, automating maintenance that has previously been done manually.

Some 400 steel and concrete silos housing Minuteman III intercontinental missiles are spread across Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. Constructed in the early 1960s for an earlier generation of missiles, the silos were designed to withstand megaton-level nuclear strikes. Each is 30 metres deep and 5 metres across, with a missile inside.

Longevity wasn’t a major consideration when the silos…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop