LC-21 Launch of Mace missile Dec 1962 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

Launch Complex 21 and 22 were built to launch Goose and Mace cruise missiles and shared a common blockhouse. Despite the fact that these sites supported the launching of the same missiles they were very different in nature.

The Mace and Goose missiles were launched from a horizontal position on a rail guidance system. Launch complex 21, completed in February 1958, originally was an open launch site with a single launch rail. This was restructured in 1960 to have two launch rails. At the time of the restructure the enclosing building was constructed leaving the launch complex as it today.  This launch site was given the nickname “hardsite” in recognition of its enclosing structure.  LC-22 was know as the “softsite” as it did not have any structure around it.

LC-21 saw 38 launches from the original launch rail and only 3 from the second.  The last launch was in 1963 and the complex was deactivated in the early 1970s.

The missiles were delivered to the front of the launchers and then hoisted up onto the loading platform.  From there they were lowered on the launch rails into the launcher.  You can see from the images that the insides of the launchers were pretty simple, mainly infrastructure to move around the missile when it was being prepared for launch.

The most interesting parts of the structure are the flame tubes.  These are about 6 feet in diameter and channel the flames and exhaust from the building.  The southernmost tube runs along the side of the blockhouse prior to turning 90 degrees and venting over a concrete apron.

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