Missile, Surface-to-Surface, SS-20 "Pioneer"
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SS-20 "Pioneer"
The SS-20, known as the "Pioneer" in Russian, is a two-stage, solid propellant missile with three multiple targetable reentry warheads.
CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu
SS-20 "Pioneer"
54 ft. 11 in.x5 ft. 10 in., three sections, cyrillic letters, numbers
CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu
SS-20 "Pioneer"
The SS-20, known as the "Pioneer" in Russian, is a two-stage, solid propellant missile with three multiple targetable reentry warheads. The missile is almost 16.5 meters tall.
CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu
SS-20 "Pioneer"
54 ft. 11 in.x5 ft. 10 in., three sections, cyrillic letters, numbers
CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)
This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. More - https://iiif.si.edu
SS-20 "Pioneer"
54 ft. 11 in.x5 ft. 10 in., three sections, cyrillic letters, numbers
SS-20 Saber
An SS-20 "Saber" on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the Museum in Washington, DC.
European Protest of Nuclear Weapons
Heilbronner came to Bonn to protest against the deployment of nuclear missiles in the neighborhood of their city.
How the INF Treaty Brought Missiles to the Museum
Display Status:
This object is on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
The SS-20, known as the "Pioneer" in Russian, is a two-stage, solid propellant missile with three multiple targetable reentry warheads. The missile is almost 16.5 meters tall.
The exterior of the first stage is yellow fiberglass with numbers and Cyrillic letters printed along the circumference. The letters and numbers are used as guides in the manufacturing process when the solid fuel is covered with fiberglass. Two thirds of the way up the missile are the letters "CCCP" and a yellow five-point star.
The second stage has similar markings. The reentry vehicle consists of three warheads. The predominant color of the missile is green. Along the base of the missile are white fan stabilizers that assist in guidance.
The Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, USSR, constructed the missile for the exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum. Exhibition of this missile complies with the Intermediate Nuclear Forces agreement between the US and USSR that provided for the preservation of fifteen SS-20 and Pershing II missiles to commemorate the first international agreement to ban an entire class of nuclear arms exhibition. It does not contain fuel or any live components. The Ministry of Defense of the USSR donated the missile to the Smithsonian.
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition
Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall
Inventory Number
A19900275000
Alternate Name
SS-20 "Pioneer"
Key Accomplishment(s)
Nuclear Missile Banned by INF Treaty in 1987
Impact or Innovation
The treaty that banned these ballistic missiles was a step back from nuclear war and a harbinger of the Cold War’s end.
Brief Description
The Soviet SS-20 and U.S. Pershing II are two of over 2,600 nuclear missiles banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, signed in 1987. The INF Treaty was the first international agreement to eliminate an entire class of nuclear weapons.
Credit Line
Gift of USSR Ministry of Defense
Manufacturer
Votkinsk Machine Building Plant
Country of Origin
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Materials
Metal (steel?), fiberglass, paint, plastic
Dimensions
Overall: 5 ft. 10 1/2 in. wide x 54 ft. 11 in. tall (179.1 x 1673.9cm)
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Type
CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets