Mission De Pala was laid down on 26 November 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by Marinship Corporation, Sausalito, California. The T2-SE-A2 tanker was launched on 28 February 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Francis D. Malone. The ship, official number 245359, was delivered to the War Shipping Administration for operation by Pacific Tankers Inc. under a general agency agreement on 22 April 1944. The tanker spent the remainder of the war carrying oil and fuel to allied forces overseas, in the Pacific. Returned to the Maritime Commission on 28 May 1946, she was laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Mobile, Alabama.
Navy tanker 1947—1958
The Maritime Commission transferred custody of the ship to the Navy on 22 October 1947 upon which the Navy applied the designation AO-114 for service with Naval Transportation Service. NTS was merged into the Military Sea Transportation Service and on 1 October 1949 the ship was designated USNS Mission De Pala. Her service with MSTS was brief and on 23 December 1949 the ship was laid up in the Reserve Fleet at Orange, Texas. The Navy reactivated Mission De Pala on 21 July 1950 for service with MSTS when the Korean War created an urgent need for logistics support vessels, especially tankers. The tanker spent most of the war shuttling between Korea, Pearl Harbor, and the west coast of the United States carrying fuel overseas. The Navy declared the ship surplus on 15 November 1954 returning it to Maritime Commission custody for up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at James River, Virginia. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 22 June 1955. The Navy reactivated the ship, taking custody on 6 July 1956, for service with MSTS to be operated, under charter, by Marine Transport Lines, Incorporated. On 13 March 1958 the Maritime Administration took permanent custody of the ship for lay up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Orange. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on the same date.
Apollo tracking/communications ship 1964-1993
On 19 October 1964 the Maritime Commission returned permanent custody of Mission De Pala to the Navy for conversion into a missile‑range instrumentation ship. Converted at General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division, Quincy, Massachusetts she was "jumboized" by having a 72‑foot section added amidships, an extensive array of electronic equipment was installed and a nest of antennas added topside. Essentially the ship was virtually rebuilt in order to prepare her for her new role. While under conversion, she was renamed and redesignated on 8 April 1965, but she was renamed Redstone on 1 September 1965. Upon completion of conversion, she was accepted on 30 June 1966 by MSTS, for service as USNS Redstone. Designed for use as a seagoing tracking and communications station for the Apollo programtest series and moon shot, into 1969, she continued these duties and played her part in helping fulfill the late President John F. Kennedy's pledge to land a man on the moon before 1970.
Deactivation and disposal
The ship was removed from service on 6 August 1993. She was struck from the Naval Register on 7 December 1993. On 6 August 1993 the ship was placed in the James River reserve fleet until withdrawn briefly 23 June through 31 August 1994 for stripping before sale and scrapping. After being sold for scrapping the ship finally left the fleet on 30 January 1995.
