PGM-11 Redstone

The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range surface-to-surface rocket, it was in active service with the U.S. 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 missile to carry a live nuclear warhead, first detonated in a 1958 Pacific Ocean weapons test, with two tests occurring over a period of 12 days.

A direct descendant of the German V-2 rocket, the missile was the foundation for the Redstone rocket family, It was developed by a team of predominantly German rocket engineers relocated to the United States after World War II as part of Operation Paperclip. Redstone's prime contractor was the Chrysler Corporation.

For its role as a field artillery theater ballistic missile, Redstone earned the moniker "the Army's Workhorse". It was retired by the U.S. in 1964, though in 1967 a surplus Redstone helped launch Australia's first satellite.

History
A product of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama under the leadership of Wernher von Braun, Redstone was designed as a surface-to-surface missile for the U.S. Army. It was named for the arsenal on April 8, 1952, which traced its name to the region's red rocks and soil. Chrysler was awarded the prime production contract and began missile and support equipment production in 1952 at the newly renamed Michigan Ordnance Missile Plant in Warren, Michigan. The Navy-owned facility was previously known as the Naval Industrial Reserve Aircraft Plant used for jet engine production. Following the cancellation of a planned Navy jet engine program, the facility was made available to the Chrysler Corporation for missile production. Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation Company provided the rocket engines; Ford Instrument Company, division of Sperry Rand Corporation, produced the guidance and control systems; and Reynolds Metals Company fabricated fuselage assemblies as subcontractors to Chrysler. The first Redstone lifted off from LC-4A at Cape Canaveral on August 20, 1953. It flew for one minute and 20 seconds before suffering an engine failure and falling into the sea. Following this partial success, the second test was conducted on January 27, 1954, this time without a hitch as the missile flew 55 miles. The third Redstone flight on May 5 was a total loss as the engine cut off one second after launch, causing the rocket to fall back on the pad and explode. Subsequent tests were completely or partially successful and the Redstone was declared operational in 1955.

Redstone was capable of flights from 57.5 mi to 201 mi. It consisted of a thrust unit for powered flight and a missile body for overall missile control and payload delivery on target. During powered flight, Redstone burned a fuel mixture of 25 percent water–75 percent ethyl alcohol with liquid oxygen (LOX) used as the oxidizer. The missile body consisted of an aft unit containing the instrument compartment, and the warhead unit containing the payload compartment and the radar fuze. The missile body was separated from the thrust unit 20 to 30 seconds after the termination of powered flight, as determined by the preset range to target. The body continued on a controlled ballistic trajectory to the target impact point. The thrust unit continued on its own uncontrolled ballistic trajectory, impacting short of the designated target.

The Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle was a derivation of the Redstone with a fuel tank increased in length by 6 ft and was used on May 5, 1961 to launch Alan Shepard on his sub-orbital flight to become the second person and first American in space.

Operators

 * 🇺🇸: United States Army
 * 40th Field Artillery Group 1958-1961 – West Germany
 * 1st Bn, 333rd Artillery Regiment
 * 46th Field Artillery Group 1959-1961 – West Germany
 * 2nd Bn, 333rd Artillery Regiment
 * 209th Field Artillery Group – Fort Sill, Oklahoma
 * 4th Bn, 333rd Artillery Regiment

End of service
Redstone production by the Chrysler Corporation was halted in 1961. The 40th Artillery Group was deactivated in February 1964 and 46th Artillery Group was deactivated in June 1964, as Redstone missiles were replaced by the Pershing missile in the U.S. Army arsenal. All Redstone missiles and equipment deployed to Europe were returned to the United States by the third quarter of 1964. In October 1964 the Redstone missile was ceremonially retired from active service at Redstone Arsenal.

Sparta
From 1966–67, a series of surplus modified Redstones called Spartas were launched from Woomera, South Australia as part of a joint U.S.–United Kingdom–Australian research program aimed at understanding re-entry phenomena. These Redstones had two solid fuel upper stages added. The U.S. donated a spare Sparta for Australia's first satellite launch, WRESAT, in November 1967.

New Hampshire landmark
A Redstone serves as a landmark in Warren, New Hampshire in the center of the village green. It was donated by Henry T. Asselin, who transported the missile from Redstone Arsenal in 1971, then placed in honor of long-time U.S. Senator Norris Cotton, a Warren native. A Redstone also launched another Granite Stater into suborbital flight: Alan Shepard of Derry.