Redstone Arsenal is a U.S. Army post located next to the city of untsville in Madison County, Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The primary tenant organizations are the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
Geography
Redstone Arsenal is located at 34d 41m 3sN 86d 39m 15sW (34.684166, -86.654031).
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Redstone CDP has a total area of 20.4 km² (7.9 mi²), all land.
Redstone Arsenal contains extensive wetland areas associated with the Tennessee River and several local springs, much of which is maintained by the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
Military facilities
Redstone Arsenal became such in 1943, as a result of plans to create a second chemical weapon plant in addition to the existing plant at Edgewood, Maryland. Workload was heavy during World War II, leading to construction of the Huntsville Arsenal nearby. Activity curtailed quickly after the war and in 1947, Redstone was placed on standby. Huntsville Arsenal was deactivated in 1949 with the remaining staff transferred to Redstone. That same year the Army's Ordnance Rocket Center was transferred to Redstone. Redstone was the home of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency when it was founded in 1956, but lost a number of facilities and personnel, including all space-related programs, to NASA in 1960.
Redstone Arsenal remains the center of testing, development, and doctrine for the U.S. Army's missile programs. Besides the Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone houses the Tactical UAV Project Office, Ordnance Munitions and Electronic Maintenance School, Redstone Technical Test Center (RTTC), and other operations. Redstone Arsenal also hosts the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA's center for propulsion analysis and development. The Saturn V moon rocket was developed here by Wernher von Braun's team of rocket engineers.
See also
- Redstone Army Airfield
- United States Army Aviation and Missile Command
- Marshall Space Flight Center
- Titan Rain
External links
- Redstone Arsenal official website
- U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command official website
- Marshall Space Flight Center official website
- Redstone Arsenal installation history
- Redstone Arsenal Campground Information
Redstone Arsenal
United States Army training facilities
United States military research facilities
