Redstone Test Center | |
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Active | Oct 1, 2010 – present |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Garrison/HQ | HQ - Redstone Arsenal, AL |
Motto(s) | Truth |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Colonel Steven Braddom |
U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, or RTC, is subordinate organization to the United States Army Test and Evaluation Command, [1] a direct reporting unit of the United States Army responsible for developmental testing, independent evaluations, assessments, and experiments of Army aviation, missiles and sensor equipment.
RTC is a tenant organization in Redstone Arsenal, AL. [2]
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure directed that the Aviation Technical Test Center in Fort Rucker move to Redstone Arsenal and combine with the Redstone Technical Test Center. [3] [4] [5] RTC was stood up in October 2010.
RTC's largest customers are Program Executive Office Aviation, and Program Executive Office Missiles and Space along with Program Manager Aircraft Survivability Equipment and the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center. [6] In addition to supporting Army acquisition efforts, RTC conducts testing with all branches of the military and maintains an extended customer base that includes the department of homeland security, allied foreign countries, industry, and NASA. [7] RTC employs approximately 1,100 military, civilian and contract employees that are skilled test officers, flight test engineers, engineers, scientists, technicians, researchers and experimental test pilots. RTC is a highly reimbursable organization, meaning that the majority of its operating budget comes from direct charges to its customers.
Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison for a number of tenants including the United States Army Materiel Command, Army's Aviation and Missile Command, the Missile Defense Agency of the Department of Defense, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. RSA has benefited from decisions by the Defense Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The Redstone Arsenal CDP had a population of 1,946 as of the 2010 census. The base contains a government and contractor workforce that averages 36,000 to 40,000 personnel daily.
The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was formed to develop the U.S. Army's first large ballistic missile. The agency was established at Redstone Arsenal on 1 February 1956, and commanded by Major General John B. Medaris with Wernher von Braun as technical director.
The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), it was in active service with the United States Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe. It was the first US missile to carry a live nuclear warhead, in the 1958 Pacific Ocean weapons test, Hardtack Teak.
White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a military testing area operated by the United States Army. The range was originally established as the White Sands Proving Ground on July 9, 1945.
The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) of the United States Army. The command was established in 1997. The current USASMDC commander is Lieutenant General Daniel L. Karbler with Senior Enlisted Advisor Command Sergeant Major Finis A. Dodson.
The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) develops, acquires, fields and sustains aviation, missile and unmanned aerial vehicles. The Command delivers responsive aviation, missile and calibration materiel readiness to the U.S. Army in order to optimize joint warfighter capabilities at the point of need. AMCOM is primarily responsible for lifecycle management of army missile, helicopter, unmanned ground vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle weapon system. The central part of AMCOM's mission involves ensuring readiness through acquisition and sustainment support for aviation systems, missile systems, and test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment (TMDE) throughout their life cycle. The command is headquartered at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, has a 2019 "budget of more $3.7 billion, and a global workforce of more than 15,000 military and civilian employees".
The MGM-29 Sergeant was an American short-range, solid fuel, surface-to-surface missile developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The missiles were built by Sperry Utah Company. The Sergeant was the third and last in a series of JPL rockets for the US Army whose names correspond to the progression in Army enlisted ranks, starting with Private and Corporal.
Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is a United States Army proving ground and one of the largest military installations in the world. It is a subordinate command of the Army Test and Evaluation Command.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC), formerly the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), a part of the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) —now CCDC, is a primarily civilian organization tasked to provide research, development, and engineering technology and services to support U.S. Army aviation and missile platforms. AvMC operates research, development, engineering and simulation laboratories and facilities used to develop and mature aviation and missile components, subsystems, and systems.
Redstone Army Airfield or Redstone AAF is a military airport located at Redstone Arsenal, six miles southwest of the city of Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States. The airfield was originally constructed for munitions testing for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Air Forces through the 6th AAF Base Unit. It is currently used to support the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, NASA, and other U.S. government aviation and space activities.
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, or ATEC, is a direct reporting unit of the United States Army responsible for developmental testing, independent operational testing, independent evaluations, assessments, and experiments of Army equipment.
The 30th Space Wing is a United States Space Force wing assigned to Space Operations Command and stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The 30th Space Wing is responsible for all space launch operations from the west coast, which includes all polar launches. It supports the Western Range, including launch activities for the Space Force, Department of Defense, NASA, and other private space corporations. Aside from space launch, the 30th Space Wing also supports the U.S. Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile force by providing test and evaluation launches.
The Redstone Test Stand or Interim Test Stand was used to develop and test fire the Redstone missile, Jupiter-C sounding rocket, Juno I launch vehicle and Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle. It was declared an Alabama Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1979 and a National Historic Landmark in 1985. It is located at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama on the Redstone Arsenal, designated Building 4665. The Redstone missile was the first missile to detonate a nuclear weapon. Jupiter-C launched to test components for the Jupiter missile. Juno I put the first American satellite Explorer 1 into orbit. Mercury Redstone carried the first American astronaut Alan Shepard into space. The Redstone earned the name "Old Reliable" because of this facility and the improvements it made possible.
The Redstone Technical Test Center (RTTC) was one of the eight test centers that comprise the Developmental Test Command of the United States Army Test and Evaluation Command. RTTC conducted flight-testing of small rockets and guided missiles, and performed life cycle testing for weapon components. It occupied over 265 buildings and 14,000 acres (57 km2) of Redstone Arsenal, near Huntsville, Alabama. In October 2010, as part of the Base Reallocation and Closure (BRAC) process, RTTC was combined with the Aviation Technical Test Center from Fort Rucker to form the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center.
This Pershing missile bibliography is a list of works related to the Pershing 1 and Pershing 1a Field Artillery Missile Systems and the Pershing II Weapon System.
Kurt Heinrich Debus was a German V-2 rocket scientist and ex-SS member for Nazi Germany who, after being brought to the United States under Operation Paperclip, in 1962 became the first director of NASA's Launch Operations Center.
Naval Air Warfare Centers are research organizations within Naval Air Systems Command. The centers are grouped within the following divisions:
DESE Research, Inc., is a veteran-owned, small-business firm conducting theoretical and analytical research services in the fields of Defense, Energy, Space, and Environment. DESE was formed in 1982 by former U.S. Army civil-service executive Dr. Wallace (Wally) Kirkpatrick. In addition to research accomplishments, DESE is recognized for high ethical standards and leadership in community services.
Lieutenant General (Ret.) August Schomburg was the Commander of the United States Army Ballistic Missile Command, and later Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He retired from Active Duty military service in 1967, and died in 1972. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His wife Fern Wynne Schomburg died in 1996.
Rutledge Parker "Hap" Hazzard was director of Science and Technology division of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1973 to 1978. He became director of the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) in 1978. After serving six years as director of NPIC from June 1978 to February 1984, Hazzard returned to the CIA's National Intelligence Office. He retired from public service in 1985.