Part 5: How the Polaris Missile Made Mutually Assured Destruction Real

The Cold War’s deadliest idea wasn’t just a theory — it was built, tested, and launched from beneath the ocean.
In this episode of Archive Unknown, Nick Johnson traces the origins of the Polaris missile program, uncovering how America’s first submarine-launched nuclear weapon turned the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction into reality.
From Lockheed’s secret labs to test launches at sea — and the quiet notes his grandfather left behind — this is the story of the weapon that kept the Cold War cold.