OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Building History

Architect Kenneth H. Neptune (1911-2005) had close ties with Los Angeles-based North American Aviation (NAA), Incorporated, originally the parent company of Rocketdyne; during World War II, Neptune, served as the Director of Plant Facilities for the company. Rocketdyne was a main high technology company to locate in the Canoga Park area during the 1950s, taking advantage of low land prices in that section of the San Fernando Valley. Other companies clustered in the area included: Thompson Ramo Wooldridge-TRW, Hughes Aircraft, Boeing, Teledyne and NAA's Division, Atomics International. Rockwell Standard of Pittsburgh, PA, later bought North American Aviation in 1967 to form North American Rockwell and later Rockwell International. Atomics merged with another former NAA Division, Rocketdyne, in 1978. Neptune designed a large number of research and manufacturing buildings throughout Southern CA for NAA and its subsidiaries.

North American Aviation (NAA), Incorporated, made Rocketdyne a separate company in 1955, but this independence lasted until the late 1960s, when it was re-purchased by the Pittsburgh-based conglomerate, Rockwell Standard. Rockwell Standard acquired North American Aviation, Rocketdyne and Atomics International to form "North American Rockwell" in 1967. By 1973, the company became known as "Rockwell International Corporation" and functioned independently until its component companies were sold off during the 1980s and 1990s.

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems bought North American Aviation/Rocketdyne in December 1996, and so the ownership of this Canoga Park plant passed to Boeing between 1996 and 2005. Boeing sold the "Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power" division in 2005 to Pratt and Whitney of United Technologies Corporation, but retained control of North American Aviation's historic but highly polluted Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL).

Building Notes

Government spending on missile systems and space exploration vehicles greatly increased after Sputnik in 1957, and employment ramped up dramatically in the 1960s. In 1965, Rocketdyne employed over 65,000 people in and around Canoga Park, CA.

This plant produced all of the large-scale engines used in NASA's Saturn space program. Rocketdyne also won the engine contract for NASA's Space Shuttle program in the 1970s.

PCAD id: 15916