Boeing [NYSE: BA] Space & Intelligence Systems has now celebrated 50 years of continuous operations in El Segundo, California. The ceremony, which featured U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn as the keynote speaker, focused on the company’s role as the world's leading manufacturer of geostationary satellites and a key employer in Southern California. "There's not a day goes by that someone on this planet doesn’t benefit from the satellites you produce," said Hahn. "This facility is key to the industrial base here in the South Bay and helps to anchor the aerospace industry in Southern California. It is a national asset that has produced nearly 300 satellites — everything from the first communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit to the most recent GPS IIF satellite that was launched last month."
"From the time we turned the former Nash Rambler plant into what now is the world's largest satellite factory, our company and the people who work here have been making history," said Craig Cooning, Space & Intelligence Systems vice president and general manager. "We made history in the 1960s, when our team of scientists designed and built the first geosynchronous satellite, which launched the satellite industry. We took that technology and applied it to commercial, military, weather, and intelligence satellite systems. From entertainment to navigation, from weather monitoring to surveillance and everything in between, Boeing continues to make a difference in people's lives."
Today, the Boeing Satellite Development Center (SDC) in El Segundo is the largest satellite factory in the world, encompassing more than 1 million square feet. In 50 years, the plant has produced satellites used for research, exploration, communication, navigation, entertainment, intelligence and surveillance. The SDC produced the first spacecraft to make a fully controlled soft landing on the moon and the first spacecraft to penetrate Jupiter's atmosphere. It also provided the radar for the Magellan spacecraft now taking detailed images of Venus' surface.
In this photo, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems Vice President and General Manager Craig Cooning (at podium) delivers his opening remarks at the ceremony. Other speakers included (left to right) El Segundo Mayor Eric Busch, California State Sen. Ted Lieu, U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn, and Boeing Network & Space Systems President Roger Krone. A model of Sycom, the first communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit, is at the far right.
Hughes Space and Communications Company opened its doors in El Segundo in 1961 and was acquired by Boeing in 2000. The satellite factory today is more efficient and cost-effective as a result of continuous investments by Boeing in order to continue to produce complex satellite systems at the facility. Boeing recently upgraded its satellite business headquarters to incorporate environmentally positive characteristics such as energy-efficient lighting and cooling, and use of recycled building materials in the construction. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 64,000 employees worldwide.