Space Park

Space Park is an aerospace engineering campus occupying 110 acres in Redondo Beach, California since 1961, expanding in 1968 to a nearly adjacent 90 acres in Manhattan Beach for roughly 200 total.[3]

Space Park
View of historic quad-plaza where Robert F. Kennedy and Apollo 13 astronauts gave speeches, and William Shatner appeared in TV episodes of The Outer Limits and Star Trek.
Address1 Space Park Drive, Redondo Beach, California, 90278
Coordinates33°53′29″N 118°22′28″W
Opening dateNovember 1, 1961 (1961-11-01)
OwnerNorthrop Grumman
No. of workers>10,000[1][2]

Founded as Space Technology Center by Space Technology Laboratories, the site is now owned and operated by Northrop Grumman since its 2002 acquisition of TRW Inc.[4]

This group of buildings became the first in the USA constructed solely for the entire process of designing, building, and testing spacecraft.[5]

The architects designed them so every engineer could have a desk with a window view of tree-scaped courtyards.[6]

During the 1960 groundbreaking ceremony, STL leaders joined in an ecumenical prayer for the space age: "We dedicate this building then to the protection of our land, to the discovery of our universe, but most of all to the spearheading of Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men."[7]

Prominent buildings
North side of Bldg. S where fight-scenes from Star Trek TV episode were filmed.

This list includes buildings with prefixes to readily identify activities therein, shown in maps published for visitors:[8][9][10][11]

D = Development: D1
E = E1 (Engineering), E2 (Executive; originally Administration)
M = Manufacturing: M1, M1E, M2, M2N, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8
O = Operations: O1, O2, O3, O4, (O5 defunct[12])
R = Research: R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R7A, (R8 defunct), R9, R10, R11
S = Services (alternately known for its Security dept.)
TF = Test Facility: TF1, TF2

The names were initially hyphenated (e.g., "E-1" instead of "E1"); though some of the original signs remain, most have been replaced by non-hyphenated ones.[13][14]

Bldg. E2 houses a 3,500 sq. ft. museum that is open to the public during business hours. The exhibit includes a quarter-scale model of the Spirit of St. Louis, an original Pioneer 1 satellite, and Apollo mission engine.[15]

Historic milestones
AIAA plaque commemorating Space Park's historic site designation.
  • December 7, 1960 Broke ground for first three buildings: R1 and R2 for research, and E for engineering (later renamed "E1" to distinguish it from an executive bldg. named "E2").[17][18][19]
  • 1964 Cold Hands, Warm Heart episode of The Outer Limits filmed on site with William Shatner (aired September 26).
    • Initial two minutes feature Shatner parking his car in the lot north of bldg. S, then entering bldg. E1 for a press conference.
    • The press conference appears to be in bldg. R2 with E1 in the background; however, such double-doors did not exist, so it was apparently filmed in a studio against a still-shot of E1.
  • February 15, 1967 Operation -- Annihilate! episode of Star Trek filmed on site (aired April 13).
    • The team appeared to beam down from their starship Enterprise to the pool between buildings E1, R1, R2, and R3.
    • Bldg. S served as the laboratory for Sam Kirk (the captain's brother, also played by Shatner) where the team was attacked by other inhabitants.
  • May 16, 1968 Robert F. Kennedy gave a presidential-campaign speech in the E1/R1/R2/R3 plaza three weeks before he was assassinated.[21][22]
  • November 2, 1971 Successful launch of the first pair of DSCS II satellites built by TRW, the first operational military communications system to occupy a geosynchronous orbit.[25]
  • February 7, 1994 Successful launch of the first TRW-built Milstar payload with autonomous processing, routing and network management capabilities, assuring communications under any level of military conflict.[29]
  • September 2021 Testing in bldg. M8 completed successfully for the James Webb Space Telescope.[35][36]

Famous employees
Bldg. E1 in 1967 where TRW's famous executives worked prior to E2's construction.
  • Jimmy Doolittle: First to fly across the United States in less than 24 hours, and leader of the 1942 Tokyo air raid; commemorated by Doolittle Drive (connecting Space Park Drive to Manhattan Beach Boulevard)
  • Ruben F. Mettler: President and chief executive officer of TRW from 1969 to 1977; chairman and chief executive officer from 1977 to 1988; commemorated by Mettler Drive (connecting Space Park Drive to Marine Avenue)[38]

See also

References
  1. Ruben F. Mettler (June 29, 1962). "Center Reflects Confidence in Future". Daily Breeze. Our expectations for the future are indicated by the fact that the 110-acre site of Space Technology Center can accommodate 14 buildings and more than 10,000 employees.
  2. Terri Vermeulen (June 22, 1993). "Gore seeks defense workers' input about plant conversion". United Press International. Retrieved 23 October 2023. The Redondo Beach electronics plant and other Southern California TRW facilities have gone from a peak of 19,000 employees in 1988 to a current force of 9,000.
  3. "Construction Starts on Systems Group's New Facility". TRW Systems Group Sentinel (monthly newspaper for employees). Vol. X, no. 2. December 1, 1967. Construction is underway on TRW's new facility in Manhattan Beach. The 90-acre development is adjacent to Systems Group's 110-acre Space Park site in Redondo Beach. ... Completion of the first building is scheduled for October 1968. ... will house 7,000 employees upon completion.
  4. Louis G. Dunn (June 29, 1962). "STL Lives in an Atmosphere of Urgency". Daily Breeze. Space Technology Center is designed to augment the capability of our company, and of our parent company, Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc.
  5. "Northrop Grumman". The Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved 13 October 2023. It was the country's first group of space science laboratories and manufacturing facilities designed solely for the entire process of designing, building, and testing spacecraft—described in the jargon of space technologists as "blueprint to black sky capability."
  6. Peter Pae and W.J. Hennigan (June 28, 2016). "Simon Ramo dies at 103; TRW co-founder shaped California aerospace". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 October 2023. The campus-like buildings, which won architectural awards, were designed so every engineer could have a desk with a window view of tree-scaped courtyards.
  7. "Ground Breaking Invocation, Prayer For The Space Age". SenTineL (monthly newspaper for employees). Vol. 3, no. 3. January 9, 1961. Oh God, as we venture out more and more into the unknown of space, may we never forget that Thou are known; that You are the creator of this world and the universe that surrounds it. In a time such as this when new horizons are being opened up beyond our wildest imaginations, keep us ever mindful that the heart of man must be one of peace as we prepare to move into space. Too long we have centered our eyes on our scientific advances and too little on the spiritual renewal needed within. We pray for a return of that simple faith, that old-fashioned trust in God, that made strong and great our pioneer forefathers as they ventured out into the unknown. May we ever be ready to turn our missiles into ministers of mercy. Guide those who ensure our safety, but most of all guide us each in the quest for the things of the spirit. We dedicate this building then to the protection of our land, to the discovery of our universe, but most of all to the spearheading of "Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men."
  8. "Redondo Beach Site Map" (PDF). Word Press Agency (for Northrop Grumman). October 7, 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  9. "Building E2 Arrival Map" (PDF). The Aerospace & Defense Forum. July 9, 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  10. "Space Park Map 12-07-05" (PDF). Robotics, Computational Intelligence and Cybernetics Chapter. December 7, 2005. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  11. "Space Park Map – W6TRW Banquet" (PDF). The W6TRW Amateur Radio Club. October 25, 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. "Fire Guts Building Due for Demolition". Los Angeles Times. April 2, 1997. Retrieved 27 October 2023. The building, a two-story structure off the 1600 block of Rosecrans Avenue owned by defense giant TRW, went up in flames about 3 p.m., sending a huge black cloud of smoke billowing into a brilliant blue sky.
  13. Carl Wittenberg (June 29, 1962). "Building Space Technology Center". Daily Breeze. Included are three research facilities labeled R-1, R-2 and R-3... Phase II of construction is expected to begin on the 70-acre site within the next few months. It will consist of two more research and development units, an eight-story administration structure, a library-auditorium combination and a service building.
  14. Frederick W. Hesse (June 29, 1962). "Building Designed for Spacecraft Manufacture". Daily Breeze. Designated simply M-1 (for Manufacturing Building Number One)...
  15. Adam Ugolnik (November 13, 2015). "Aerospace in Motion: A sector headquarters museum and experience". Behance. Retrieved 18 October 2023. Open to the public during business hours, Aerospace in Motion tells the story of Northrop Grumman via a ~3,500 sq. ft. interactive adventure through three distinct wings — past, present, and future. ... Using chronological timelines, models, videos, actual space hardware, video games and interactive media walls, the museum effectively places Northrop Grumman's technology in context before guests are whisked off to tour any of the various aircraft or spacecraft assemblies within Northrop Grumman's Southern California plants. ... We also suspended a quarter-scale model of the Spirit of St. Louis above the entrance — a plane compiled of parts from three of our founding companies and famously piloted by Charles Lindbergh in 1927 as the first solo flight from New York to Paris. ... Above them, guests find actual space hardware including an original Pioneer I satellite and Apollo mission engine.
  16. "Northrop Grumman". The Los Angeles Conservancy. Retrieved 13 October 2023. Developed primarily between 1960 and 1967, the property started as the headquarters of Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc. when founders Simon Ramo and Dean Wooldridge bought the land from the Santa Fe Railroad.
  17. "New STL Center Begun As Dr. Dunn Breaks Ground". SenTineL (monthly newspaper for employees). Vol. 3, no. 3. January 9, 1961. A new era of growth for Space Technology Laboratories, Inc., was signaled 7 December by President Dr. Louis G. Dunn as he broke ground to start construction of the Company's new home in North Redondo Beach. ... A few minutes after the ceremony a huge earth moving machine was driven onto the site and began the work of grading for the first of the 10 buildings to be erected.
  18. "Construction Of STL 'R&E Center' Progressing Swiftly". SenTineL (monthly newspaper for employees). Vol. 3, no. 4. February 6, 1961. Three of the 10 buildings planned are already begun: Research 1, Research 2, and Engineering. The first phase of the Complex will include seven more buildings: three two-story research buildings of the same type as R1 and R2, one single-story fabrication, assembly, and test building, a three-story service building, an auditorium-library, and an eight-story administration building.
  19. Carl Wittenberg (June 29, 1962). "Building Space Technology Center". Daily Breeze. Included are three research facilities labeled R-1, R-2 and R-3... They are clustered around a centered mall and reflecting pool, which contribute to the smart, campus-like appearance of the entire area. ... Phase II of construction is expected to begin on the 70-acre site within the next few months. It will consist of two more research and development units, an eight-story administration structure, a library-auditorium combination and a service building.
  20. "Space Technology Center R-1 Building Open For Business". SenTineL (monthly newspaper for employees). Vol. 4, no. 1. November 6, 1961. A housewarming and preview of STL's Space Technology Center at Number One Space Park, Redondo Beach, highlighted informal ribbon-cutting ceremonies last Wednesday marking the Company's official occupancy of the first building of the world's most modern facility for space research, engineering, and manufacturing.
  21. "TRW Plant, Redondo Beach, 16 May 1968". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved 14 October 2023. Senator Robert F. Kennedy delivers a speech at the TRW Plant in Redondo Beach, California.
  22. "10 Campaign Stops Since 1960, South Bay Stumping". The Los Angeles Daily News. October 3, 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2023. MAY 16, 1968: Democratic presidential candidate Kennedy, below, speaks to a crowd of 5,000 at TRW in Redondo Beach, weeks before his assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles early on June 5.
  23. Tony Chong (July 24, 2013). "The Last 300,000 Miles Are On Us". Blogger. Retrieved 15 October 2023. An impressed and thankful crew told an assembly of TRW employees after the mission that they should change the company's LEMDE advertising slogan from "the last 10 miles are on us" to "the last 300,000 miles are on us." ... When Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise addressed that TRW audience on May 6, 1970, three weeks after their Pacific splash-down, employees and the media weren't the only people in attendance that day. ... In 2005 the circle became complete when I found a picture in the official TRW 100 year history book of the astronauts' visit to Space Park.
  24. "SMC celebrates Defense Support Program's 45th anniversary". Air Force Space Command. United States government. November 6, 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2023. It was the beginning of a satellite constellation that has provided early missile warning to our nation's leaders and warfighters for almost five decades. The launch of the maiden DSP spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Fla., was successfully accomplished on Nov. 6, 1970. ... The original contractors for the DSP satellite were TRW - now Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems - for the spacecraft and Aerojet - now Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems - for the infrared sensor.
  25. "Historical Overview of the Space and Missile Systems Center, 1954-2003" (PDF). Los Angeles Air Force Base. History Office, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, CA. 2004. p. 47. Retrieved 22 October 2023. SAMSO awarded a development contract for the DSCS II system to TRW on 3 March 1969, and the first pair of satellites was launched on 2 November 1971. It was the first operational military communications satellite system to occupy a geosynchronous orbit.
  26. "By Jupiter! Pioneer 10 Encounters". TRW Systems Group Sentinel (monthly newspaper for employees). Vol. XVI, no. 11. December 21, 1973. November 27, 1973, Dear Dr. [G.E.] Solomon [Vice President and General Manager, TRW Systems Group, One Space Park], As Pioneer 10 completes its mission to Jupiter and begins its endless journey beyond the solar system, this Nation shares your pride in so dramatic a scientific and technical achievement. ... I want to express my gratitude and the thanks of the American people to you and your employees for your contributions to the conquest of space these past eventful years ... Sincerely, Richard Nixon
  27. "1992 Discover Awards: Aviation and Aerospace". Discover (magazine). 1992. Retrieved 27 October 2023. Although the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory was launched as a single platform, it's actually four separate gamma-ray experiments. The detectors themselves were already being designed by 1983, when TRW won the contract.
  28. Mallozzi, Robert; Horack, John (December 6, 2002). "History of CGRO". Gamma-Ray Astrophysics. NASA. Retrieved 27 October 2023. This is a picture of the four principal investigators of the four astrophysics experiments on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. The photo was taken in Building R7A of TRW in Redondo Beach, California.
  29. Bishop, Bob (July 2, 2014). "20 Years Since Launch, Northrop Grumman-Built Milstar Payload Continues to Provide Protected Military Satellite Communications" (Press release). Redondo Beach, California: Northrop Grumman. Retrieved 22 October 2023. The first Milstar protected communications satellite, launched 20 years ago, Feb. 7, 1994, gave U.S. national and defense leaders a new capability: assured communications day or night, without detection or interception under any level of military conflict. ... The LDR payload is the operational heart of Milstar Flight 1, featuring autonomous processing, routing and network management capabilities.
  30. Drachlis, Dave (January 12, 1999). "Media Invited to View NASA's Newest Observatory" (Press release). Huntsville, Alabama: Marshall Space Flight Center. Retrieved 23 October 2023. NASA's newest space telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, will be unveiled at a special ceremony Thursday, Jan. 14, at TRW Space and Electronics Group in Redondo Beach, Calif. The event will be held at TRW's Space Park Facility from 9 - 11 a.m. PST. It will be the only opportunity for media representatives to see and photograph the recently completed observatory before it is covered for shipment to the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., for launch aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia this spring. ... The Chandra X-ray Observatory, formerly called the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, is the world's most powerful X-ray telescope.
  31. Warren E. Leary (September 11, 2002). "Next-Generation Space Telescope Chosen to Peer Into Past". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 October 2023. NASA chose a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope today, announcing that it would launch a next-generation space observatory in 2010 that would study light produced in the earliest days of the universe. The space agency selected TRW Inc., of Redondo Beach, Calif., to lead a team that will build the observatory, which will be called the James Webb Space Telescope in honor of a pioneering NASA administrator. The TRW design won out over a proposal by a group led by Lockheed Martin Space Systems.
  32. "Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus Form 424B3". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. November 4, 2002. Retrieved 15 October 2023. Accompanying this letter are proxy materials concerning Northrop Grumman's proposed acquisition of TRW Inc. ... The board of directors of TRW Inc. (with one director absent) has unanimously agreed to merge with Northrop Grumman Corporation.
  33. W.J. Hennigan (December 14, 2011). "Space Park in Redondo Beach will get the star treatment". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 October 2023. On Wednesday, the campus will be designated a historic aerospace site in a ceremony by the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, the nation's largest society of aerospace engineers and scientists.
  34. Henson, Tom (December 14, 2011). "Northrop Grumman Space Park Facility Designated Historic Aerospace Site" (Press release). Redondo Beach, California: Northrop Grumman. Retrieved 14 October 2023. In a ceremony today, the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) designated Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Space Park facilities in Redondo Beach, Calif., a Historic Aerospace Site. ... In honoring Space Park, the AIAA recognized the site's heritage as a location where more than 100 of the world's most technically challenging satellites, rocket engines, astronomical observatories and high-power lasers were designed and built..."
  35. Menzel, Michael (8 October 2020). "The James Webb Space Telescope Moved Into Airlock for Transport To Test Facility B-roll". NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved 18 October 2023. B-Roll footage of engineers moving the James Webb Space Telescope from the M8 cleanroom to the M8 airlock area before moving the telescope to the testing area at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, CA.
  36. Clark, Stephen (30 September 2021). "After two decades, the Webb telescope is finished and on the way to its launch site". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2023. Eric Smith, NASA's program scientist for the Webb telescope, confirmed Wednesday the observatory has departed the United States after completing final testing at a Northrop Grumman facility in Redondo Beach, California.
  37. Mark Junge (December 28, 1988). "Interview With Dr. Jerry Buss, Owner of The Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Forum". The Wyoming State Archives. State of Wyoming. Retrieved 15 October 2023. I came back to Los Angeles because I missed it, I love Los Angeles. Went to work at Douglas Aircraft worked there for two years in their space division. Went from there to Thomas, Ramo, Woolridge (TRW) and worked 2-1/2 years until July of 62 at which time I quit and devoted myself full time to real estate.
  38. James F. Peltz (February 21, 1994). "How TRW Came Down to Earth : Conglomerate: Satellites and credit reports are this little-understood firm's best-known products. But it is auto parts--especially air bags--that sustain it. Indeed, some analysts say the company should dump high-tech". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 October 2023. At 56, [TRW Chairman Joseph T.] Gorman is in his sixth year of what has been a down-and-up ride as chairman and chief executive. He assumed the job from the legendary Ruben F. Mettler, a Caltech-trained engineer for whom a street is named in Redondo Beach. Mettler retired in 1988 after 11 years as TRW's chief executive, leaving behind a firm with a unique blend of technological sophistication and financial savvy.
  39. Belfiore, Michael (September 1, 2009). "Behind the Scenes With the World's Most Ambitious Rocket Makers". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 25 October 2023. In late 2001, Tom Mueller was sacrificing his nights and weekends to build a liquid-fuel rocket engine in his garage. Mueller, a propulsion engineer at Redondo Beach, Calif.–based aerospace firm TRW, felt like an "unwanted necessity" at his day job. ... "Tom had an awesome track record of engine development at TRW," Musk says. "I also really liked the fact that he built and tested rocket hardware with his own hands."

Further reading
  • Dyer, Davis TRW: Pioneering Technology and Innovation since 1900 (Harvard Business Review Press, 1998) 503 pp.
  • Jacobson, Timothy C. TRW 1901–2001: A Tradition of Innovation (Wipf and Stock, 2016) 132 pp.
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