You’ve got to be of a particular disposition to live in a subterranean mansion that was formerly used as one of the high-tension nerve centers of the Cold War: a nuclear missile silo. Ed Peden is of that disposition, but this story is about Bruce Townsley.
Ed Peden is a “nuclear missile base real estate mogul” which simultaneously freaks us out and makes us a bit jealous (don’t remember that one being in the guidance counselor’s map of potential careers). After purchasing an abandoned missile base in Kansas, he went on the Johnny Carson show to talk about it. Bruce saw him, and decided then and there he wanted a silo of his own.
The bases were abandoned by the government because they had better technology to use. The Atlas E, Atlas F, Titan I, Titan II and Minuteman missiles were among the first underground, upright ballistic missiles in existence, and paved the way for today’s more refined payloads.
Townsley’s unit is an Atlas F silo – a silo in which the missiles are stored upright offering him about 2,200 square feet to work with. But it’s no ordinary bachelor pad. His main living area is essentially a bubble suspended on gigantic shock absorbers in the center of the silo designed to withstand a Russian nuclear attack. It’s perfectly round and Townsley has had to design his living quarters to fit it as such.
Head over to Wired for a much more in depth description of just exactly how Townsley retrofitted his base to become a swanky bachelor pad (along with more pictures than you can look at in a work day). Or, get started immediately by buying and then renovating your own personal missile silo. Properties start in the mid 200k range.
For our money, you’re going to want to go with the $2.3 million dollar Adironback property that’s already been retrofitted and comes with its own personal runway. [Buy it]
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