NASA Industrial Plant, Testing Facility, 12214 Lakewood Boulevard, Downey, Los Angeles County, CA

Significance: Building 6 was constructed in 1955 to support the North American Missile Programs. Substantial design efforts for the Navaho (X-10), Hound Dog (GAM77) and Little Joe Programs were performed in this building.1 Building 6 contained the NASA mission control area, labs, clean rooms, research and development facilities and the Rockwell Operational Software Engineering System (ROSES) software development rooms. It housed a variety of functions including mission support to the Apollo program, clean rooms for fabrication of missile parts, spacecraft propellant systems, and a software development center. Given the long and significant role the building played to the Apollo and Space Shuttle program, it "is a significant historical building on the Downey site."2

In 1965, the building was modified to provide new support and development rooms for the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. The building played a significant role in the development and manufacture of surface-to-surface guided missile systems and air-to-ground missiles as well as to the NASA S-II program (1962-1969) and the Skylab space program (1961-1975). Building 6 is also significant for its association with American Astronauts from the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs when it provided the real-time telemetry support to every Apollo and Space Shuttle mission.

1 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, "Final Historic Buildings and Structures Inventory and Evaluation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Industrial Plant Parcels I and II Downey, California." November 1999. Appendix G.
2 Gerald Blackburn, Aerospace Legacy Foundation, Interview by Katrina Harrison. NASA Industrial Plant, Downey, CA. November 7, 2003.
Survey number: HAER CA-310-R
Building/structure dates: ca. 1955 Initial Construction