[2] It is located at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama on the Redstone Arsenal, designated Building 4665.

[4] The Interim Test Stand was built in 1953 by Dr. Wernher von Braun's team for a mere US$25,000 (equivalent to $284,701 in 2023) out of materials salvaged from the Redstone Arsenal.

Adapted over the years, it never experienced the growth in size and cost that typified test stands in general, remaining a testament to the engineering ingenuity of the rocket pioneers.

[8] The Army first assigned the Germans to teach German missile technology, assist with the launching of captured V-2's, and continue rocket research as part of the Hermes project at Fort Bliss, Texas and White Sands Proving Grounds[9] On April 15, 1950, the Army consolidated their far-flung guided missile and rocket research and development efforts into the Ordnance Guided Missile Center (OGMC) at Redstone Arsenal.

They conducted a preliminary study for proposed 500-mile (800 km) range missiles and began developing one, called Hermes C-1.

Engineers needed a propulsion test stand to improve the missile, but they were not allowed to spend research and development funds on constructing facilities even for a cause vital to national security.

[15] Three railroad tank cars that had been used to transport chemicals at the arsenal during the war were cleaned, modified, and buried 300 feet (91 m) away to serve as control and observation bunkers.

[18][20] Before congressional appropriation and construction of permanent facilities was completed, the engineers used the information gained during static testing at the Interim Stand to steadily improve the Redstone system.

It held only the Redstone's alcohol and liquid oxygen tanks, pumps, valves and flow meters in various configurations.

Oxygen-rich propellant mixtures had caused most engine explosions in the early years of liquid rocket development.

In December 1955, workers installed a new more durable elbow-shaped flame deflector designed by Rocketdyne engineer Carl Kassner.

A cutoff system was added to detect rough combustion in the engine and automatically stop tests.

These longer missiles were called Jupiter-C and test fired on the Interim Stand after it was enlarged and strengthened.

[26] Dr. von Braun had proposed to Project Orbiter using a Redstone as the main booster for launching artificial satellites on June 25, 1954.

[27] The day Sputnik 1 launched, October 4, 1957, von Braun had been showing incoming Defense Secretary Neil McElroy around the Redstone Arsenal.

On November 8, McElroy directed the Army to modify two Jupiter-C missiles and to place a satellite in orbit by March 1958.

[28] Because of its proven reliability and accuracy, the Department of Defense decided to use the Redstone missile in tests to study the effects of nuclear detonations in the upper atmosphere, Operation Hardtack I.

The crew at the Interim Test Stand ran over 200 static firings to improve the Redstone propulsion system.

In addition, all eight Mercury-Redstone launch vehicles endured a full duration acceptance test at the interim stand.

[32] On July 1, 1960, 4,670 people transferred from the ABMA to NASA forming the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

After rising a few inches off the launch pad, electrical cables disconnecting in the wrong order caused the engine to shut down.

This flight demonstrated that man was capable of controlling a space vehicle during periods of weightlessness and high accelerations.