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This circuit, called a microelectronic hybrid, was part of the fuzing electronics for a Mark 12A reentry vehicle.

A Mark 12A reentry vehicle was the "business end" of a Minuteman III missile, the mainstay of the U.S. nuclear missile force from the 1970s into the 1990s, and carried a nuclear warhead. After launch, a Minuteman III flew on a trajectory that carried it into space. After passing the top of this trajectory, the Mark 12A reentry vehicle would separate from the missile and be directed towards its target. As the reentry vehicle sped earthward, a circuit like this artifact helped activate the warhead for detonation.

Aluminum plates around the perimeter of the device served as a handling fixure so that technicians could work without contacting delicate internal components or soiling the gold outer casing.

This circuit was made in the late 1970s but represents a design originally developed for the Mark 12A and Minuteman III programs in the late 1960s.

Lockheed Martin donated this artifact to the Museum in 1998.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type SPACECRAFT-Uncrewed-Instruments & Payloads Manufacturer General Electric Space Systems Division
 Dimensions Overall: 13/16in. x 2 1/2in. x 4in. (2.06 x 6.35 x 10.16cm)
 Materials Alumina, gold, aluminum, plastic, steel, copper, graphite
 Inventory Number A19980314002 Credit Line Gift of Lockheed Martin Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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