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85-718: In January 1996, the office of the Secretary of Defense directed the Army to establish an Aerostat Joint Project Office based in Huntsville, Alabama . The office involved all military departments—the Army would serve as program manager, while the Navy and Air Force would provide deputy program managers. Following approval of the JLENS acquisition strategy, the project office conducted design concept and risk-reduction studies. In June 1997,

170-617: A V-2 rocket returned in May 2004 after restoration. The White Sands Missile Range Hall of Fame inducts members such as the first range commander, Colonel Harold Turner (1945–1947), in 1980. A recreational shooting range just inside the "El Paso gate" on the south is outside of the Post Area. The 1972 DoD Centers for Countermeasures (CCM) evaluates precision guided munitions and other devices in electronic counter- and counter-countermeasures environments. Other operations on WSMR land include

255-463: A few months later. In the fall of 1863, they returned to Huntsville, using it as a base of operations for the war in the South until the last months of 1864. According to the journal of a nearby resident, Union troops burned many homes and villages in the surrounding countryside in retaliation for the active guerrilla warfare in the area. Many houses and buildings were burned, although most of Huntsville

340-542: A joint venture between Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon , located in El Segundo, California , won the initial contract—valued at $ 11.9 million—as part of an estimated $ 292 million contract if all options were exercised. Since that time, numerous studies and requirements changes have been made. According to JLENS' product manager, the system was poised for operational testing, a planned three-year deployment at Aberdeen Proving Ground ; if successful, full deployment would be

425-472: A major center for high technology. On July 1, 1960, 4,670 civilian employees, associated buildings and equipment, and 1,840 acres (7.4 km ) of land were transferred from ABMA to form NASA 's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Wernher von Braun was MSFC's initial director. On September 8, President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicated the MSFC. During the 1960s, the major mission of MSFC

510-506: A particular eye toward detecting threats approaching the nation's capital. The system was able to detect ground-based vehicles up to 140 miles (230 km) away, from Richmond, Virginia to Cumberland, Maryland to Staten Island, New York . The program's second orbit was kept in strategic reserve for potential future deployment. The JLENS program was funded through achieving Initial Operational Capability (IOC) and low-rate production, which were expected around 2017 as scheduled, however only

595-505: A period referred to as early user testing . Previously, contractor employees had been the system's primary operators. Following the six-week successful trials held at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah , the Army took formal control of the system. In October 2014, lab tests demonstrated that data collected by the JLENS radar system could be converted into a format for use by NORAD 's command and control systems. A three-year exercise for one of

680-462: A recent forest fire. Imagery captured by the MTS-B was passed through the JLENS tether for operators to view a live feed from dozens of miles away, simultaneously tracking ground targets using its integrated radar system, demonstrating the potential for integration of JLENS radar and EO/IR payloads. In 2013, the Army, utilizing its own soldiers, put the system through a series of demanding drills during

765-505: A report by the Government Accountability Office concluded that $ 2.78 billion had been invested in system design, development and other costs. Following incidents with the JLENS aerostats, some retired military officials suggested that the system's sophisticated sensors be moved to more reliable platforms like satellites or long-endurance UAVs to fulfill the role of detecting low-flying cruise missiles. Since

850-1052: A statement denying the closure. When the schools opened on September 9, Wallace was served a restraining order against further interference with the desegregation of Huntsville schools. Huntsville became the first city in Alabama to desegregate its schools as well. Alabama's opposition to desegregation at this time caused concern from the NASA Administrator James E. Webb , who investigated equal employment opportunities for Black people in Huntsville. After failing to attract high-level staff to Huntsville, Webb said that "some research work would have to be switched from Huntsville to New Orleans". This investigation into employment caused MSFC to open their engineering education programs to Black students at Alabama A&M and Oakwood College , as well as for local contractors to "work for progress in race relations". The emergence of

935-811: Is a United States Army military testing area and firing range located in the US state of New Mexico . The range was originally established in 1941 as the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range , where the Trinity test site lay at the northern end of the Range, in Socorro County near the towns of Carrizozo and San Antonio . It then became the White Sands Proving Ground on 9   July 1945. White Sands National Park founded in

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1020-539: Is a center for technology and engineering research in the area. There are commercial technology companies such as the network access company ADTRAN , computer graphics company Intergraph and designer and manufacturer of IT infrastructure Avocent . Cinram manufactures and distributes 20th Century Fox DVDs and Blu-ray discs out of their Huntsville plant. Sanmina-SCI has a presence in the area. A number of Fortune 500 companies have operations in Huntsville. There are several strip malls and shopping malls throughout

1105-505: Is about the same as the exterior pressure, which makes the system difficult to shoot down. Airships can absorb multiple punctures before they lose altitude. When they do, they would come down so slowly that they could be reeled in, easily repaired, and quickly redeployed. Mooring stations for large systems would be relatively permanent; however, for short- or medium-range surveillance, the aerostats would likely be smaller and their mooring systems mobile. In addition to protecting U.S. cities,

1190-579: Is also subject to periodic closures during test firings. New Mexico State Road 525 provides access from U.S. Highway 380 to the north end of WSMR near Stallion Army Airfield . El Paso International Airport is the nearest airport with regularly scheduled commercial flights. There have been no regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights from Las Cruces International Airport since 25 July 2005, when Westward Airways ceased operations; general aviation, New Mexico Army National Guard (4 UH-72 Lakota Helicopters), private charters and CAP, among others, still use

1275-474: Is enough rainfall to keep soils moist and vegetation lush. Much of Huntsville's precipitation is delivered by thunderstorms . Thunderstorms are most frequent during the spring, and the most severe storms occur during the spring and late fall. These storms can deliver large hail , damaging straight-line winds, and tornadoes . Huntsville lies in a region colloquially known as Dixie Alley , an area more prone to violent, long-track tornadoes than most other parts of

1360-420: Is headquartered in Huntsville. Huntsville has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ). It experiences hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from near 90 °F (32.2 °C) in the summer to 49 °F (9.4 °C) during winter. Huntsville is near the center of a large area of the U.S. mid-South that has maximum precipitation in

1445-554: Is located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama south of the state of Tennessee . Huntsville was founded within the Mississippi Territory in 1805 and became an incorporated town in 1811. When Alabama was admitted as a state in 1819, Huntsville was designated for a year as the first capital, before the state capitol was moved to more central settlements. The city developed across nearby hills north of

1530-508: Is partially surrounded by several plateaus and large hills. These plateaus are associated with the Cumberland Plateau , and are locally called "mountains". Monte Sano Mountain (Spanish for "Mountain of Health") is the most notable and is east of the city, along with Round Top (Burritt), Chapman, Huntsville, and Green mountains. Others are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Weeden and Madkin mountains on

1615-676: Is rare in Huntsville. However, there have been some unusually heavy snowstorms, like the New Year's Eve 1963 snowstorm, when 17 in (43 cm) fell within 24 hours. Likewise, the Blizzard of 1993 and the Groundhog Day snowstorm in February 1996 were substantial winter events for Huntsville. On Christmas Day 2010, Huntsville recorded over 4 inches (10 cm) of snow, and on January 9–10, 2011 it received 8.9 inches (23 cm) at

1700-483: Is water as of 2024. Huntsville has grown through recent annexations west into Limestone County by 21.5 square miles (56 km ) (13,885 acres, 5,619 ha) in the early 2000s, and south into Morgan County with 1.03 square miles (2.67 km2) (659.1 acres, 266.73 ha) in 2018. Huntsville borders Marshall County across the Tennessee River near Hobbs Island . Huntsville has the 29th largest land area in

1785-594: The Great Depression . Huntsville became known as the Watercress Capital of the World because of its abundant harvest in the area. Madison County led Alabama in cotton production during this time. By 1940, Huntsville was still relatively small, with a population of about 13,000 inhabitants. This quickly changed in early 1941 when the U.S. Army selected 35,000 acres (140 km ) of land adjoining

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1870-885: The Launch Abort Flight Test Complex for the Pad Abort-1 , the White Sands Launch Complex 37 built for Nike Hercules tests, the White Sands Launch Complex 38 built for Nike Zeus tests with Launch Control Building now used for Patriot missile firings, the North Oscura Peak facility of the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, and the 1963 NASA White Sands Test Facility 's ground station for Tracking and Data Relay Satellites , and

1955-614: The National Register of Historic Places on 15 October 1966. The White Sands Test Center , headquartered at the WSMR post area, has branches for manned tactical systems and electromagnetic radiation, and conducts missile testing and range recovery operations. "WSMR Main Post" includes several smaller areas such as the housing area, golf course, "Navy Area", and "Technical Area" The WSMR Museum offers tours and exhibits including

2040-522: The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System . Its relatively low-power usage and over-the-horizon capability makes it less expensive to operate than existing fixed-wing systems and provides significantly greater range than ground-based systems. JLENS aerostats are filled with 590,000 cubic feet (17,000 cubic m) of non-flammable helium. Given its operational altitude, the internal pressure of JLENS

2125-626: The Redstone Arsenal property in the south. Brindley Mountain is visible in the south across the Tennessee River. As with other areas along the Cumberland Plateau, the land around Huntsville is karst in nature. The city was founded around the Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring. Many caves perforate the limestone bedrock underneath the surface, as is common in karst areas. The National Speleological Society

2210-722: The Space Shuttle , the International Space Station , and a wide variety of advanced research in space sciences led to a resurgence in NASA-related activities that has continued into the 21st century. In addition, new Army organizations have emerged at Redstone Arsenal, particularly in the ever-expanding field of missile defense . This city is located at 32°31′03″N 87°50′11″W  /  32.51750°N 87.83639°W  / 32.51750; -87.83639 (34.6934098, -86.5607619). According to

2295-606: The Super Outbreak in April 1974 , the November 1989 tornado that killed 21 and injured over 460, and the 1995 Anderson Hills tornado that killed one person and caused extensive damage. On January 21, 2010, an EF2 tornado struck Huntsville, resulting in moderate damage. Because it was not rain-wrapped and was easily photographed, it received extensive media coverage. While most winters have some measurable snow, heavy snow

2380-520: The Tennessee River , adding textile mills in the late nineteenth century. Major growth in Huntsville took place in the decades following World War II. During the war, the U.S Army established Redstone Arsenal in the vicinity, with a chemical weapons plant and related facilities. After the war, additional research was conducted at Redstone Arsenal on rockets , followed by adaptations for space exploration. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center ,

2465-527: The U.S. Army Air Force considered this for a major testing facility, but selected another site. Redstone Arsenal was prepared for disposal, but Sparkman used his considerable Southern Democratic influence (the Solid South controlled numerous powerful chairmanships of congressional committees) to persuade the Army to choose it as a site for rocket and missile development. As the Korean War started,

2550-559: The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command , and most recently the FBI's operational support headquarters, all were sited at Redstone Arsenal. The National Trust for Historic Preservation included Huntsville in its "America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010" list. The population was 215,006 at the 2020 census , and was estimated to be 221,933 in 2022. The Huntsville metropolitan area 's population

2635-556: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 225.17 square miles (583.2 km ), of which 223.63 square miles (579.2 km ) is land and 1.54 square miles (4.0 km ), is water as of 2023. According to the City of Huntsville Statistics , the city has a total area of 226.62 square miles (586.9 km ), of which 225.09 square miles (583.0 km ) is land and 1.54 square miles (4.0 km ),

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2720-427: The "nearly unanimous lack of funding for the program spells death for JLENS". The blimps are being kept in storage and the small budget being used to close out the program, according to Defense News . Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama . It is the county seat of Madison County with portions extending into Limestone County and Morgan County . It

2805-513: The 1,300 inhabitants of Huntsville, 448 were slaves, making up 36% of the city's population. In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allen's large cabinet-making shop. The 44 delegates wrote a constitution for the new state of Alabama. In accordance with the new state constitution, Huntsville became Alabama's first capital when the state was admitted to the Union. This

2890-487: The 1930s is located within the range. As the largest military installation in the United States , WSMR encompasses almost 3,200 sq mi (8,300 km ) including parts of Doña Ana , Otero , Socorro , Sierra , and Lincoln counties in southern New Mexico . Holloman Air Force Base borders WSMR to the east; and WSMR borders the 600,000-acre (2,400 km ) McGregor Range Complex at Fort Bliss to

2975-417: The Army has refused to conduct a privacy impact assessment. One privacy group has also claimed that JLENS could be weaponized and that it is capable of carrying Hellfire missiles . However, the manufacturer claims that JLENS does not have any weapons and that it has the capacity to detect, not carry, Hellfire missiles. The JLENS system is designed to stay aloft and survive most weather patterns. According to

3060-652: The Army said. “Its secondary mission is to track surface moving objects such as vehicles or boats. The capability to track surface objects does not extend to individual people." Experts cite the extreme angles from overhead as precluding even advanced surveillance systems from being able to identify faces or other features such as license plates, though anonymized geolocation data has been found to easily identify specific individuals. Privacy groups raised concerns that advanced sensors such as ARGUS, MTS-B and other Wide Area Persistent Surveillance EO/IR payloads may be deployed, as Federal privacy regulations currently do not apply and

3145-665: The Army. The Marshall Space Flight Center has been designated to develop NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) is responsible for developing a variety of rocket-based tactical weapons. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama was constructed in 2003 and is located in North Huntsville Industrial Park. The plant has 1,800 employees as of 2022. The plant manufactures engines for Toyota vehicles. Navistar Huntsville Powertrain Manufacturing Plant

3230-528: The Biotech Campus focus on subjects such as diagnosing disease, immune responses to cancer, protein crystallization , lab-on-a-chip technologies, and agricultural technologies. The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) created a doctoral program in biotechnology to help develop scientists to support HudsonAlpha in addition to the emerging biotechnology economy in Huntsville. White Sands Missile Range White Sands Missile Range ( WSMR )

3315-525: The Cherokee who ceded their claims to land to the federal government. The area was subsequently purchased by LeRoy Pope , who named it Twickenham after the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope . Thomas Freeman and Pharoah Roach started government surveys in 1805. Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out in a northeast to southwest direction based on the flow of Big Spring. Given anti-British sentiment during this period after

3400-663: The Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC) was given the mission to develop what eventually became the Redstone Rocket . This rocket set the stage for the United States' space program , as well as major Army missile programs, to be centered in Huntsville. Brigadier General Holger Toftoy commanded OGMC and the overall Redstone Arsenal. In early 1956, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) under Major General John Medaris

3485-729: The Pentagon's operational testing office found JLENS deficient in four “critical performance areas” and rated its overall reliability as “poor.” A year later, Pentagon technical specialists, in their most recent assessment of the system, said JLENS “did not demonstrate the ability to survive in its intended operational environment.” In January 2013, Raytheon conducted a field trial of the JLENS equipped with its multi-spectral targeting system-B (MTS-B) to observe simulated terrorists planting an improvised explosive device (IED) in real-time. The electro-optical / infrared (EO/IR) sensor successfully tracked ground targets, even under smoky conditions from

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3570-512: The Revolution and with tensions leading to the War of 1812 , in 1811 the town name was changed to "Huntsville" to honor pioneer John Hunt. Both John Hunt and LeRoy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1 , the oldest lodge in Alabama. In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in what is now Alabama. However, the recognized "founding" year of the city is 1805,

3655-690: The South as well. Like the rest of Alabama , Huntsville was involved in the slave trade . Slaves worked in factories and on cotton plantations. Many cotton mills in the area relied on slave labor, most notably the Bell Factory, where slaves ran textile machinery. The factory was known throughout Alabama for its high levels of production. Cotton mills grew Huntsville and the South's economies greatly, becoming 60% of all U.S. exports and connecting Huntsville to major cotton markets in Nashville, Memphis, and New Orleans. An 1822 census showed that out of

3740-833: The US. On April 27, 2011, the largest tornado outbreak on record, the 2011 Super Outbreak , affected northern Alabama. During this event, an EF5 tornado that tracked near the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant destroyed many transmission towers and caused a multi-day power outage for the majority of North Alabama. That same tornado also resulted in considerable damage to the Anderson Hills subdivision and in Harvest, Alabama . In total, nine people were killed in Madison County, and many others were injured. Other significant tornado events include

3825-687: The Union in 1861, but provided many men for the Confederacy's efforts. The 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, led by Col. Egbert J. Jones of Huntsville, distinguished itself at the Battle of Manassas/Bull Run , the first major encounter of the American Civil War . The regiment, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war. They were also present when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in April 1865. Nine generals of

3910-598: The United States gained independence, this area had become largely empty of indigenous peoples by the turn of the 19th century. An Indian trader and boatman named Ditto established himself at a landing on the river prior to American settlement. Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt was a pioneer in 1805 on land around the Big Spring . The US negotiated an 1805 treaty with the Chickasaw and an 1806 treaty with

3995-416: The United States, for cities with a population over 100,000. Huntsville has borders surrounding both the cities of Madison and Triana . Huntsville also borders the cities of Decatur , Athens , Owens Cross Roads , the town of Mooresville as well as the census-designated places of Moores Mill , Meridianville , Laceys Spring, and Redstone Arsenal . Situated in the Tennessee River valley, Huntsville

4080-458: The admission of two Black students to the University of Alabama in Huntsville was challenged by Governor George Wallace . Wallace pushed back the registration dates for multiple state universities (presumably to allow more time for state troopers to move into the area) but instead moved them to Tuscaloosa . The students were admitted without issues. Around the same time, the color barrier

4165-513: The airport and up to 10 inches (25 cm) in the suburbs. As of the 2020 census , there were 215,006 people, 92,074 households, and 52,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 985.7 inhabitants per square mile (380.6/km ) There were 100,391 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 55.17% White, 29.0% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, and 4.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.75% of

4250-648: The airport. Regularly scheduled commercial flights are also available at the Albuquerque International Sunport , which is located 200 miles north of White Sands Missile Range's main base, but is closer to the northern test ranges than El Paso. On 21 December 1965, the Trinity Site , selected in November 1944 for the Trinity nuclear test conducted on 16 July 1945 , was designated a National Historic Landmark district, and added to

4335-542: The area from Virginia , Georgia , and the Carolinas to develop new cotton plantations. The invention of the cotton gin in the late eighteenth century meant that uplands areas could be profitably cultivated with short-staple cotton, which could be grown in a much larger area than the long-staple cotton of the Sea Islands and Low Country. The increased use of cotton meant an increased use of slave labor throughout

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4420-409: The borders of WSMR. New Mexico State Road 213 enters the range from the south from Chaparral, New Mexico and terminates at U.S. Highway 70 , which traverses the southern part of the range in a west-northeast direction and is subject to periodic road closures during test firings at the range. U.S. Highway 380 runs east-west along the northern edge of WSMR between San Antonio and Carrizozo , and

4505-472: The center at Huntsville, they settled and raised families. The city is nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its close association with U.S. space missions. On January 31, 1958, ABMA placed America's first satellite, Explorer 1 , into orbit using a Jupiter-C launch vehicle, a descendant of the Redstone. This brought national attention to Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville, with widespread recognition of this being

4590-606: The city. Huntsville has one enclosed mall, Parkway Place , built in 2002 on the site of the former Parkway City Mall. A larger mall built in 1984, Madison Square Mall , was closed in 2017 and the site is being redeveloped into the Mid City lifestyle center. An additional lifestyle center, Bridge Street Town Centre , was completed in 2007, in Cummings Research Park. Huntsville is a key city in rocket-propulsion research for NASA and various organizations run by

4675-422: The company stores, which sometimes overcharged them. The mill owners also established rules for behavior and could throw out workers from housing if they violated these policies. As was common for the time, work was highly segregated with only whites being allowed to work inside the mills and Blacks relegated to working outside as laborers and groundskeepers. During the 1930s, industry declined in Huntsville due to

4760-462: The end of the war in 1945, the munitions facilities were no longer needed. They were combined with the designation Redstone Arsenal (RSA), and a considerable political and business effort was made in attempts to attract new tenants. One significant start involved manufacturing the Keller automobile , but this closed after 18 vehicles were built. With the encouragement of US Senator John Sparkman (D-AL),

4845-506: The next step. The system features two tethered aerostats , roughly 77 yards (70 m) in length, that float to an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 m) for up to 30 days at a time. Each aerostat utilizes a different radar system—one has a VHF-band surveillance radar and the other an X-band fire-control radar . JLENS is designed to provide 24/7 , 360-degree coverage extending 340 miles (300 nmi; 550 km). The surveillance radar scans in all directions to pick up targets, then

4930-423: The population. Huntsville's main economic influence is derived from aerospace and military technology. Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park (CRP), Jetplex Industrial Park, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center comprise the main hubs for the area's technology-driven economy. CRP is the second largest research park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world. The University of Alabama in Huntsville

5015-647: The program's inception, extensive testing has been conducted on the JLENS system. In September 2005 the program successfully completed a two-day functional review, which examined fire-control radar, surveillance radar, processing station, communication system and platform. In 2012, tests were conducted December 6–7 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico . The system tracked four threats similar to tactical ballistic missiles, and it met its primary and secondary goals, including launch point estimation, ballistic tracking and discrimination performance. A 2012 report by

5100-519: The project office issued a request for proposal for an early JLENS prototype. The initial program had three objectives: (1) to mitigate risks during development and acquisition; (2) to design, develop, procure, fabricate, integrate, test, demonstrate and maintain a system which met military requirements; and (3) to provide an operational prototype which could potentially be used during a deployment of troops. Three bids were received, and in January 1998

5185-602: The protests, the Community Service Committee (CSC) was formed to help organize sit-ins and protests, as well as bail out arrested protestors. In April 1962, a committee was formed by the city to "address the concerns of the African American community," and eight lunch counters, as well as a number of other public spaces, were desegregated. On May 11, 1962, Huntsville became the first city in Alabama to be racially integrated. In June 1963,

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5270-508: The south (southeast Tularosa Basin and on Otero Mesa ) making them contiguous areas for military testing. WSMR is located between Las Cruces, New Mexico to the west, Alamogordo, New Mexico 40 miles to the east, and Chaparral, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas to the south. White Sands National Park and the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge are federally-protected natural areas contained within

5355-612: The southern third is located in the unincorporated community of Greenbrier . More than 25 biotechnology firms have developed in Huntsville due to the Huntsville Biotech Initiative. The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is part of the 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) Cummings Research Park. The non-profit HudsonAlpha Institute has contributed genomics and genetics work to the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements ( ENCODE ). For-profit business ventures within

5440-426: The southwest area of the city for building three chemical munitions facilities: the Huntsville Arsenal , the Redstone Ordnance Plant (soon redesignated Redstone Arsenal), and the Gulf Chemical Warfare Depot. These operated throughout World War II , with combined personnel approaching 20,000. Resources in the area were strained as new workers flocked to the area, and the construction of housing could not keep up. At

5525-421: The system after the incident until the Army completed its investigation of how the aerostat broke free. The program was said to be "hanging by a thread" after the incident. By February 2016, the investigation had found that a malfunctioning pressure sensing device caused a loss of air pressure in the tail fins, leading to the loss of aerodynamic efficiency which, along with increased wind drag, exacerbated tension on

5610-507: The system could be deployed anywhere commanders cite a need for increased missile defense capability, such as on the Korean Peninsula . In 2012, the JLENS program experienced a Nunn-McCurdy cost breach due to budget cuts for unit procurements. Under Secretary of Defense Frank Kendall reviewed the program and directed the Army to continue with a reduced test plan using the two existing JLENS developmental orbits and prepare for operational testing at Aberdeen. Two years later, in March 2014,

5695-533: The system's manufacturer, JLENS has survived 106 mph (47 m/s) winds. In the fall of 2010, a JLENS prototype was destroyed when another airship crashed into it after becoming unmoored during severe weather. On October 28, 2015, one of two JLENS aerostats being used to conduct a test over Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland , became untethered. It was escorted by two fighter jets as it drifted at an altitude of approximately 16,000 feet (4,900 m) towards Pennsylvania. About three hours later, it

5780-431: The targeting radar looks only in a certain segment to guide weapons to it. Its detection capability seeks to equal 4–5 fixed-wing aircraft, and is designed to operate at 15–20 percent of the cost of fixed-wing aircraft. The tethered cables relay data and provide power. As threats are detected, information is sent to anti-missile and other fire-control systems including Patriot , Standard Missile 6 , AIM-120 AMRAAM , and

5865-426: The tether to the point of breakage. Following the incident, the military initially decided that the JLENS should continue with its operational exercise because of the unique cruise-missile defense capability it provides, determining that changes and procedures will enable it to safely fly again. The fiscal 2017 budget for the program was cut from the requested $ 45 million to $ 2.5 million. According to Defense News ,

5950-601: The two JLENS orbits was slated to begin in early 2015 at Aberdeen Proving Ground north of Baltimore, Maryland , contingent upon federal funding. The president's 2015 budget request included $ 54 million for JLENS. The U.S. House of Representatives cut funding in half, while the Senate fully funded JLENS. One analyst noted that "failure to pass a defense spending bill by March 2015 would impact JLENS at Aberdeen." The deployment joined an ongoing exercise known as Operation Noble Eagle , with JLENS casting an aerial net from Boston to Lake Erie to Raleigh, North Carolina , with

6035-502: The two test model systems were put into operational service. Privacy advocates raised concerns that the deployment could be used to track individuals by generating radar geo-location data and correlating it with other technology, including cellphone metadata and traffic cameras. A spokesperson for the Army stated that "absolutely, 100 percent" that JLENS will not have video cameras, nor will it collect personally identifiable information. “The primary mission...is to track airborne objects,”

6120-617: The war were born in or near Huntsville; five fought for the Confederacy and four for the Union. Other Huntsville residents joined the Union Army and helped establish the Union Army's 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment . On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Ormsby M. Mitchel seized Huntsville in order to sever the Confederacy's rail communications and gain access to the Memphis & Charleston Railroad . Huntsville

6205-512: The winter and spring, not summer. The average yearly precipitation is more than 54 inches. On average, the wettest single month is December, but Huntsville has a prolonged wetter season from November to May with, on average, nearly or over 5 or more inches of precipitation most of those months. On average, August to October represent slightly drier months (see climate chart, showing less than 3.6 inches of precipitation these months). Droughts can occur, primarily August through October, but usually there

6290-518: The year of John Hunt's arrival. David Wade settled in Huntsville in 1817. He built the David Wade House on the north side of what is now Bob Wade Lane (Robert B. Wade was David's grandson), just east of Mt. Lebanon Road. Huntsville's initial growth was based on wealth generated by the sale of cotton from plantations , for which there was international demand, and trade associated with railroad industries. Many wealthy planters moved into

6375-519: Was 514,465 in 2022, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the state after the Birmingham metropolitan area. The Huntsville metro area, which includes Madison city and the separate Southeast Huntsville urban areas had a combined population of 349,231 people in 2020, which makes it the second largest in Alabama after Birmingham / Hoover . The City of Huntsville was incorporated on November 25, 1811 Due to settlement pressures after

6460-469: Was a temporary designation for one legislative session only. The capital was moved to more central cities in the state; to Cahaba , then to Tuscaloosa , and finally to Montgomery . In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River . Huntsville initially opposed secession from

6545-460: Was broken further when the first white person enrolled at Alabama A&M University. In August 1963, a court ruling determined that Huntsville must desegregate their schools. Wallace used state troopers to stop four students from entering the first desegregated school. On September 6, the troopers announced that the desegregated schools were closed for three more days, but the Board of Education issued

6630-413: Was formed. In 1950, about 1,000 personnel were transferred from Fort Bliss , Texas, to Redstone Arsenal to form the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC). Central to this was a group of about 200 German scientists and engineers, led by Wernher von Braun ; they had been brought from Nazi Germany to the United States by Colonel Holger Toftoy under Operation Paperclip following World War II. Assigned to

6715-609: Was in developing the Saturn boosters used by NASA in the Apollo Lunar Landing Program . For this, MSFC greatly increased its employees, and many new companies joined the Huntsville industrial community. The Cummings Research Park was developed just north of Redstone Arsenal to partially accommodate this industrial growth, and has now become the second-largest research park of this type in America. Huntsville

6800-518: Was kept intact as it housed both Union officers and troops. During the Reconstruction era , three delegates from Huntsville attended the 1867 Constitutional Convention including Andrew J. Applegate , originally from Ohio, who went on to serve as Alabama's first Lieutenant Governor. Councill Training School, which eventually became William Hooper Councill High School , was established as the first public school for African American students. It

6885-450: Was named for educator and school founder William Hooper Councill . Huntsville became a center for cotton textile mills , such as Lincoln, Dallas , and Merrimack. Each mill company constructed worker housing outside the city, creating communities that eventually included schools, churches, grocery stores, theaters, and hardware stores, all within walking distance of the mill. In many such company towns, workers were required to buy goods at

6970-486: Was opened in 2008 and provides powertrain components to Navistar's vehicle assembly plants in Springfield, Ohio and Escobedo, Mexico. The plant is located north of Huntsville International Airport. The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA was constructed in 2021 with a plan to hire 4,000 employees. The facility produces Toyota and Mazda SUVs and pickup trucks . The majority of the plant is located in Huntsville; however,

7055-561: Was reported by NORAD to be approaching the ground near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania , about 100 miles (160 km) north of Aberdeen. Its dragging 6,700 foot (2,000 m) tether reportedly downed many power lines in the area, with loss of electrical power to as many as 20,000 area residents. The Pennsylvania State Police reported less than an hour later that the aerostat was "contained". It was found tangled in trees in Anthony Township, Pennsylvania . The Pentagon suspended trials of

7140-623: Was selected as the permanent home of the United States Space Operations Command in 2020, but in 2023 the Pentagon announced that the temporary headquarters would be expanded and remain in Colorado. Huntsville was a key location in the Civil Rights Movement . In 1962, students from Alabama A&M University held the city's first lunch counter sit-in . After the mayor refused to address

7225-639: Was the headquarters for the Eastern Division of the Memphis & Charleston. During the first occupation, Union officers took over many of the larger homes in the city while the enlisted soldiers camped in tents mainly on the outskirts. Union troops searched for Confederate troops hiding in the town and weapons. There was not much resistance, and they treated Huntsville residents in a relatively civil manner. However, residents of nearby towns reported harsher treatment. Union troops were forced to retreat

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