Now a subsidary of
Gencorp (formerly
General Tire), Aerojet is a space company in
the eastern suburbs of
Sacramento. The two divisions, Liquids and Solids, do radically different types of work.
The solids division builds solid fuel boosters and were the primary contractors on the MX missile project. The liquids division built the Titan class rocket, worked on the Saturn boosters, and designed and built the OMS engines for the Space Shuttle. Other projects of the companty as a whole include a water-jet based nuclear fallout shielding system for ships.
Like many aerospace industries, the company's (and its employees) fortunes rose dramatically in the 1960's, remained steady through the cold war, and dropped off in the '90's.
When I was young, I went to visit the plant. It was impressive as hell. Huge buildings, test-firing stands, a security system that could only be guessed at.