Lockheed Propulsion Company

Lockheed Propulsion Company was a Southern California rocket-propulsion operation associated with Lockheed Corporation and its predecessor, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Its roots lay in the Grand Central Rocket Company, founded in 1952 by Major C. C. Moseley and Charles E. Bartley. Bartley was an inventor of rubber-based solid propellant technology, while Moseley had been a co-founder of Western Airlines. The enterprise was established to develop and manufacture solid rocket propellants and motors, eventually operating a large research, production, testing, and disposal site in the Mentone area northeast of Redlands, California. The Redlands-Mentone facility was developed on land leased from the City of Redlands. Contemporary accounts described a site of several hundred acres, while early development plans referred to substantially larger areas. The company began operations in the mid-1950s and expanded its workforce from an initial group of highly skilled technicians to approximately 130 employees by 1956. Its work quickly became connected with significant United States military and space programs. The United States Navy selected Grand Central Rocket Company in 1956 to produce the solid-propellant third stage for Project Vanguard. The resulting ABL X-248 Altair upper stage helped launch Vanguard 1 in 1958. Vanguard 1 and its upper stage remain among the oldest artificial objects still in orbit. Grand Central also received work connected with Project Mercury's launch-escape system. After Lockheed acquired the company in February 1960, the Redlands operation became Lockheed Propulsion Company. Under Lockheed, it continued research and production involving solid-fuel rockets, propellant formulations, and propulsion components. Its products supported both military and civilian space applications. For the Apollo program, the company supplied the launch-escape motor and pitch-control motor used in the emergency escape tower on the Apollo command module. The company also produced or supplied propellant for Boeing's AGM-69 Short-Range Attack Missile under a subcontracting relationship that ran from 1966 to 1975. Lockheed Propulsion participated in the early competition for the Space Shuttle's solid rocket booster design. In 1972, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center selected the company, Aerojet-General, Thiokol Chemical, and United Technology Center to study large solid motors for a prospective booster system. Thiokol was ultimately selected for the Space Shuttle solid rocket booster. Lockheed protested the selection before the General Accounting Office in 1974, and NASA temporarily extended Thiokol's study work while the protest was reviewed. The contract was confirmed for Thiokol in 1975. The operation also emphasized manufacturing quality. In September 1964, president Robert F. Hurt launched a Zero Defects Program intended to eliminate defects throughout the company's operations and to secure comparable commitments from suppliers. The site was also associated with periodic controlled propulsion tests, including reports of explosions that local authorities described as prepared test events. Lockheed Propulsion Company closed and was sold in 1975 after the end of major Apollo-related work, the conclusion of the AGM-69-related program, and the absence of a Space Shuttle booster contract. The former facility later became the subject of environmental investigations. Trichloroethylene was detected in area groundwater during the 1980s, and perchlorate contamination was identified in drinking-water wells in 1997. These investigations and related litigation concerned the Lockheed successor corporation rather than an operating Lockheed Propulsion Company, but they remain part of the site's legacy.

Lockheed Propulsion Company's history began with Grand Central Rocket Company, founded in 1952 by Major C. C. Moseley and Charles E. Bartley. The company specialized in solid rocket propellants and motors and announced plans in December 1953 for a manufacturing plant in the Redlands-Mentone area of California. Operations began during the mid-1950s on a large site leased from the City of Redlands. The facility supported propellant manufacture, motor production, research, testing, and disposal activities. Grand Central grew rapidly during its early years. By 1956, it employed approximately 130 people and had secured an important military-space contract: the United States Navy selected it to manufacture the solid-propellant third stage for Project Vanguard. The company's ABL X-248 Altair third stage was used with Vanguard 1, launched in 1958. The vehicle's upper-stage hardware remains associated with one of the oldest continuously orbiting artificial satellites. Grand Central also contracted to produce the motor for the Project Mercury launch-escape tower. Lockheed acquired Grand Central in February 1960. The Redlands-area operation was renamed Lockheed Propulsion Company and became a Lockheed research and production facility for solid-fuel rockets and propellant. Its responsibilities extended across military missile and NASA programs. During Apollo, it provided the launch-escape motor and pitch-control motor for the emergency escape tower mounted above the command module. It also supplied propellant through Boeing subcontracting arrangements for the AGM-69 Short-Range Attack Missile between 1966 and 1975. The company pursued process improvement as well as technical development. In 1964, president Robert F. Hurt established a Zero Defects Program and asked suppliers to support the quality initiative. The site occasionally conducted controlled tests that residents perceived as explosions; local authorities described at least one reported event as a planned test. Lockheed Propulsion became a contender for the Space Shuttle's solid rocket booster work. In 1972, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center selected it, Aerojet-General, Thiokol Chemical, and United Technology Center to study large solid motors. Thiokol was selected in 1973, and Lockheed filed a protest with the General Accounting Office in 1974. NASA allowed Thiokol's study work to continue under temporary extensions while the protest was considered, but confirmed the Thiokol selection in 1975. The loss of the Shuttle work, combined with the completion of Apollo-related contracts and the end of AGM-69-related production, left the facility without sufficient major orders. Lockheed Propulsion Company was closed and sold in 1975. The former site later became associated with investigations into groundwater contamination. Trichloroethylene was detected in the 1980s, and ammonium perchlorate was found in regional drinking-water wells beginning in 1997. Regulatory agencies funded groundwater treatment, while later litigation involved Lockheed Martin as successor to the earlier Lockheed entities.

• 1975

  Operation closed and sold

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company ended operations after major Apollo and AGM-69-related work concluded and Lockheed did not receive the Shuttle booster contract.

• 1972

  Selected for Space Shuttle booster studies

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center selected Lockheed Propulsion and three other companies to study large solid motors for the Shuttle booster system.

• 1964

  Zero Defects Program introduced

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  President Robert F. Hurt launched a program intended to improve defect prevention throughout operations and the supply chain.

• 1960

  Acquired by Lockheed

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Lockheed acquired Grand Central Rocket Company and renamed the operation Lockheed Propulsion Company.

• 1958

  Vanguard 1 upper-stage motor enters service

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The ABL X-248 Altair third stage produced at the Redlands facility supported the Vanguard 1 launch.

• 1956

  Selected for Project Vanguard third stage

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The United States Navy selected Grand Central Rocket Company to build the solid-propellant third stage for Project Vanguard.

• 1953

  Redlands-Mentone plant announced

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The company announced plans for a solid-propellant manufacturing plant in the Redlands-Mentone area.

• 1952

  Grand Central Rocket Company founded

  [1]Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Major C. C. Moseley and Charles E. Bartley founded the predecessor company that later became Lockheed Propulsion Company.

A specialized defense and space propulsion manufacturer focused on solid-propellant motor technology, testing, and production for government programs and major aerospace contractors.

• Solid rocket upper-stage motor · 1958

  ABL X-248 Altair

  The ABL X-248 Altair was a solid-propellant third-stage motor produced at the Grand Central Rocket Company facility for Project Vanguard. It supported the Vanguard 1 launch in 1958 and is associated with one of the earliest American satellite-launch vehicles. The stage illustrates the company's early role in compact solid propulsion for space applications.

• Crew-escape propulsion

  Apollo launch-escape motor

  Lockheed Propulsion Company supplied the Launch Escape Motor used in the emergency escape tower above the Apollo command module. The motor was part of the system intended to pull the crew capsule away from a failing launch vehicle during an emergency. The company used polysulfide-based propellant in its Apollo propulsion work.

• Crew-escape propulsion

  Apollo pitch-control motor

  The company also provided the Pitch Control Motor for the Apollo launch-escape tower. This motor contributed directional control during an abort sequence, complementing the main escape motor. Its inclusion in the Apollo system positioned Lockheed Propulsion as a supplier of specialized, safety-critical space propulsion hardware.

• Missile propellant · 1966

  AGM-69 SRAM propellant

  Between 1966 and 1975, Lockheed Propulsion Company supplied propellant to Boeing under subcontracting arrangements for the AGM-69 Short-Range Attack Missile. The work represented the company's role as a propulsion-materials supplier within a larger prime-contractor missile program rather than as the sole producer of the complete weapon.

• 2008

  Dispute over environmental cleanup liability

  Lockheed Martin, the successor corporation, sued the United States government seeking responsibility for past and future cleanup costs. The company argued that federal policies had permitted open disposal of toxic chemical waste during the 1970s. The litigation concerned the legacy of former Lockheed operations, including the Redlands site.

  Source

• 2003

  Carrillo v. Lockheed Martin

  Approximately 800 Redlands residents filed suit alleging health effects from groundwater contamination. In a landmark decision, the California Supreme Court ruled that the residents lacked a sufficient basis to proceed as a class-action toxic-tort group, clarifying requirements for mass medical-monitoring claims.

  Source

• 1997

  Perchlorate groundwater plume

  Ammonium perchlorate was detected in domestic and municipal drinking-water wells in the region. Two Loma Linda municipal wells were reported to have been affected by a plume attributed to the former Lockheed site. Perchlorate is a chemical of concern because it can interfere with thyroid iodine uptake.

  Source

• 1980

  Groundwater contamination near the former Redlands facility

  Trichloroethylene was detected in groundwater wells in the Redlands area during the 1980s. California environmental and drinking-water authorities required affected wells to be removed from service when contamination exceeded applicable limits and supported installation of a granular activated-carbon treatment system. Later investigations identified the former Lockheed site as the source according to the cited reference.

  Source

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• 1975

  Close and sell the propulsion operationStrategy

  Background

  Apollo-related contracts and AGM-69-related work were ending, while the company did not obtain the Space Shuttle solid-booster contract.

  Action taken

  Lockheed closed and sold Lockheed Propulsion Company.

  Aftermath

  The Lockheed Propulsion Company brand ceased operating, while environmental and legal issues later continued to concern successor Lockheed entities.

  Source

• 1974

  Protest Space Shuttle booster selectionOther

  Background

  NASA selected Thiokol for the Space Shuttle solid rocket booster design after studies involving Lockheed Propulsion and other propulsion companies.

  Action taken

  Lockheed Propulsion filed a protest with the General Accounting Office. NASA extended Thiokol's study contract while the protest was reviewed.

  Aftermath

  NASA confirmed the Thiokol selection in 1975, and Lockheed Propulsion subsequently closed and was sold.

  Source

• 1960

  Acquire Grand Central Rocket CompanyM&A

  Background

  Grand Central had established a solid-propellant research and manufacturing capability and had won work connected with Vanguard and Mercury.

  Action taken

  Lockheed acquired the company and continued the Redlands-area operation under the Lockheed Propulsion Company name.

  Aftermath

  The facility became a Lockheed research and production center supporting military missile and NASA space programs.

  Source

1. 1Lockheed Propulsion Companyen.wikipedia.org