Redstone Arsenal, near Huntsville, Alabama, serves as headquarters of the United States Army Materiel Command. The command provides a wide range of military equipment, including weapons, vehicles, and communications technology. Redstone Arsenal covers about 38,000 acres (15,000 hectares) and received its name from the red soil in the area. It includes two free-flight rocket ranges and facilities for testing liquid and solid propellant missiles. The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center at the arsenal manages the research and development of high-power rocket boosters. Redstone Arsenal was established in 1941 as Redstone Ordnance Plant. It was renamed Redstone Arsenal in 1943. In 1949, Huntsville Arsenal, a chemical munitions plant, became part of Redstone Arsenal. See also Alabama (The mid-1900’s) .
