Redstone Arsenal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Redstone Arsenal |
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| Redstone Arsenal, Alabama | |
Redstone Arsenal Sign, Gate 9
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| Coordinates | 34°41′03″N 86°39′15″W / 34.684166°N 86.654031°W |
| Type | Army post |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  United States Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941 |
| In use | 1941–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | U.S. Army Aviation and Missile LCMC U.S. Army Materiel Command Missile Defense Agency U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Aviation & Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center |
Redstone Arsenal is a big United States Army base located next to Huntsville, Alabama. It's a special area in Madison County, Alabama, and is part of the larger Huntsville-Decatur area. This base is home to many important groups, including parts of the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and NASA's biggest center, the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Every day, between 36,000 and 40,000 people work at Redstone Arsenal. These include government workers and people from private companies. The base has grown thanks to decisions made by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. In 2020, about 837 people lived on the base.
Redstone Arsenal was first built during World War II in 1941. It was used to make special chemicals for defense. After the war, it became a place for research and development. German rocket scientists, who came to the U.S. as part of Operation Paperclip, worked here. They started by improving V-2 rockets and then designed even bigger ones. In 1956, the Army gave up most of its large rockets to the US Air Force. The German rocket team then joined the new NASA. As the Cold War focused on space, the U.S. wanted to compete with the Soviet Union. Redstone Arsenal became a key place for designing and testing space launch vehicles in the 1960s.
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Where is Redstone Arsenal?
Redstone Arsenal is located at 34°41′03″N 86°39′15″W / 34.684166°N 86.654031°W. The area covers about 20.1 square kilometers (about 7.8 square miles) of land. This includes many wetland areas near the Tennessee River. Much of this land is looked after by the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
Who works at Redstone Arsenal?
Redstone Arsenal hosts many important organizations. Here are some of them:
- Department of Defense (DoD)
- Missile Defense Agency: This group works on systems to protect against missiles.
- Defense Intelligence Agency: They gather information to protect the country.
- United States Army: Many Army groups are here, including:
- US Army Space and Missile Defense Command: They deal with space and missile defense.
- US Army Materiel Command: They provide equipment and supplies for the Army.
- US Army Aviation and Missile Command: They handle Army aircraft and missiles.
- Redstone Test Center: This is where new military equipment is tested.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Marshall Space Flight Center: NASA's largest center for rocket and space vehicle development.
- Blue Origin: A private company that also works on rocket development and testing.
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): They have several important offices here, including:
- Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC): They study bombs and explosives.
- Hazardous Device School: This school trains people to deal with dangerous devices.
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF): They have a center for training about explosives.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): They have several important offices here, including:
A Look Back in Time: History of Redstone Arsenal
Early Days of the Land
The land where Redstone Arsenal now sits was once home to Native Americans. Over 650 ancient sites have been found here. Some of these sites date back to the Paleo-Indians (around 9200 to 8000 BC). A special type of ancient spearhead, called the Redstone Point, was named after this area.
By the early 1800s, European-American settlers started building farms here. Before the Civil War, the area had large plantations. After the war, these big farms were split into smaller ones. Many of these smaller farms were worked by former slaves and their families. By the 1900s, many farms were rented out to tenants and sharecroppers.
At the start of the 20th century, the area was made up of small farming communities. There was no electricity, running water, or phones. Even so, people lived well enough to have their own stores, churches, and schools. Today, 46 historic cemeteries, including those for enslaved people and early families, are still cared for on the base.
Building Huntsville Arsenal
As the U.S. got ready for World War II, the Huntsville Arsenal was created in 1941. It was meant to be a place to make special chemicals for defense. More than 550 families had to move when the Army bought the land. Most of the old buildings were taken down. The name Redstone comes from the red rocks and soil found in the area.
In its early years, the arsenal made and stored chemicals like phosgene and mustard gas. These were for defense, in case other countries used them first. The arsenal also made things like tear gas and smoke devices. It also produced small rockets during the war. Because of its great production, the arsenal won the Army-Navy "E" Award four times. In 1943, the ordnance plant was renamed Redstone Arsenal. During the war, it produced millions of chemical munitions and ammunition shells. Redstone Army Airfield was also built in 1943 to test special devices for the firebombing of Japanese cities.
After Japan surrendered, production at the base slowed down. Most workers were sent home. The land was rented out for farming, and some buildings were used by local businesses. By 1947, the base was almost closed down.
However, the Army soon realized it needed the land for a new mission: developing and testing rocket systems. In 1949, two companies, Thiokol Corporation and Rohm and Haas, moved to Redstone Arsenal to work on rocket fuels and jet engines. On June 30, 1949, Huntsville Arsenal officially became part of Redstone Arsenal.
The Army's Rocket Center
After World War II, many important German scientists and engineers came to the U.S. as part of Operation Paperclip. One of them was Wernher von Braun. In 1945, they started working on improving the V-2 missile. They did their tests at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
On June 1, 1949, Redstone Arsenal was chosen to be the Army's main center for rocket research. In April 1950, von Braun and his team moved to Redstone Arsenal. They became the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC). Their first big project was the PGM-11, also known as the Redstone rocket. This rocket was designed to travel between 58 and 200 miles.
During the Korean War, ammunition production started again at Redstone Arsenal. From 1951 to 1955, millions of chemical artillery rounds were produced.
Testing of the Redstone rocket began in 1953. The first launch happened at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 20, 1953. Besides the Redstone rocket, the center also worked on other missiles like the Nike Hercules, Hawk, and Honest John.
In 1954, von Braun suggested putting a satellite into orbit using the Redstone rocket. This idea, called Project Orbiter, was not approved at first.
Learning About Missiles
In 1952, a school was set up at Redstone Arsenal to teach about missiles. It was called the Ordnance Guided Missile School (OGMS). Over the years, this school grew very large. It taught thousands of students from the U.S. and other countries about missiles and ammunition. The school's name changed several times. In 2011, it moved to Fort Lee (now Fort Gregg-Adams) in Virginia.
The Space Race and NASA
The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was formed on February 1, 1956. It took over the rocket development work at Redstone Arsenal. Von Braun led the rocket development team. ABMA's main job was to create the Army's first long-range missile, the Jupiter. This missile later played a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. ABMA also developed other missiles like the PGM-11 Redstone and the MIM-23 Hawk.
In 1957, both the U.S. and the Soviet Union planned to launch a scientific satellite. The U.S. Navy was chosen to launch America's first satellite.
However, on October 4, 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik I, the first Earth satellite. A month later, they launched another. On December 6, 1957, the U.S. Navy's attempt to launch a satellite failed. Von Braun and his team quickly asked for a chance to show what they could do. They got the approval, and on January 31, 1958, America's first satellite, Explorer I, was successfully put into orbit. They used a changed Jupiter rocket, called Juno I.
By 1958, about 20,000 people worked at Redstone Arsenal.
Six months after Explorer I, President Dwight Eisenhower created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on July 29, 1958. On October 21, 1959, he decided to move all Army space activities to NASA. This happened on July 1, 1960. About 4,670 Army employees, buildings, and land were transferred to NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Von Braun became MSFC's first director.
Missile Command Today
The U.S. Army Missile Command (MICOM) was created on August 1, 1962, at Redstone Arsenal. It took over all the remaining missile projects and people from the earlier groups. MICOM worked on anti-aircraft missiles and later on systems to defend against long-range missiles.
On July 17, 1997, the Army Missile Command joined with the Army's aviation (aircraft) group. This created a new organization at Redstone Arsenal called the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM).
Redstone Arsenal Today
Redstone Arsenal is still a very important place for the Army's missile programs. It's where new missile systems are tested, developed, and where the Army decides how to use them. Besides AMCOM, Redstone Arsenal is home to the Missile Defense Agency, the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, and other key operations.
The Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA's largest center for rocket development, is still located at Redstone Arsenal. It developed the Saturn rocket family in the 1960s, which sent astronauts to the Moon. It also developed the engines for the Space Shuttle in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Redstone Scientific Information Center (RSIC), a large library with 450,000 books, was closed on September 30, 2019. Some of its important documents were moved to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
People Living at Redstone Arsenal
Redstone Arsenal is also a place where people live. The number of people living on the base has changed over the years. In 2000, there were 2,353 people. By 2020, the population was 837. Most people living on the base are families with children.
Education
Children living on the Redstone Arsenal base go to schools in the Madison County Schools district.
Images for kids
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1940s munitions production at Huntsville Arsenal
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1956: Redstone missile testing on Static Test Stand
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1957: Contaminated land and buildings at RSA were reclaimed by Chemical Corps personnel.
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18 May 1963: Wernher von Braun with president John F. Kennedy at RSA
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RSA main gate c. 1964
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MGM-52 Lance missile testing at RSA c. 1970
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RSA commander Maj. Gen. Jim Myles speaks at a Community Family Readiness Group meeting in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Redstone Arsenal para niños
