AeroJet Dade Fabrication and Development Facility

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During the 1960s AeroJet General used this complex to create and test the largest solid-fuel rocket engine ever made. The project (the 260" diameter rocket engine: 260 SL)was commissioned by the Sacramento Facility and a contract was secured with NASA. The result was the creation of three engine cores (SL-1, SL-2, and SL-3) and three successful tests. This facility includes several buildings where the fuel mix was created, tested, and shipped south to the Cast and Cure Facility for testing.

Following its use with AeroJet this site was home to government training up until 1992 when Hurricane Andrew led to total abandonment of this site.

-JE
-AeroJet Dade Project-
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   25°21'46"N   80°33'42"W

Comments

  • rocket has been pulled out and silo has been filled with concrete. I last checked 2 weeks ago
  • I'll just leave this here. Maybe this will get the big googles: "The 260 - The Largest Solid Rocket Motor Ever Tested" http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000033816_2000043549.pdf
  • The guy who says it was filled with concrete is wrong. The rocket is still in place... you're probably looking in the wrong building. As of 01/21/2012 The rocket is still in It's hole in the cast and cure facility. Under the rotten metal floor. If you look in through grate you can see the side of the rocket, but towards the middle there's a rotted hole where you can see the top of it. Very Cool, Tons of History here. bring a pipe or knife with you just incase, some sketchy people out there stealing scrap metal..
  • Swung by there with a small group last weekend. Apparently some kid was killed there, and they set up a big gate that forces you to walk an even longer stretch down Aerojet Road. Other than that: place looks about the same. First big hangar you come up to after the first left hand turn you make, has been completely demolished. It was eerie expecting to see it there and having it just disappear.
  • Joey, have any pics of your visit? Sucks about the building. You're talking about the one along the main road? I visited the facility fairly often between 2004 - 2009 and I'm curious to see what it looks like nowadays.
This article was last modified 7 years ago