The Jupiter missile was an American intermediate-range ballistic missile developed in the late 1950s. It was designed to carry nuclear warheads and was part of the United States' strategic arsenal during the Cold War. The missile had a range of about 1,500 miles and was deployed in Europe to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union. The Jupiter was launched from a mobile platform and could be fired quickly, making it a key component of NATO's defense strategy. However, it was eventually phased out in favor of more advanced missile systems, with the last operational units being retired in the early 1960s.