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NASA Industrial Plant, Systems Integration & Checkout Facility, 12214 Lakewood Boulevard, Downey, Los Angeles County, CA

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NASA Industrial Plant, Systems Integration & Checkout Facility, 12214 Lakewood Boulevard, Downey, Los Angeles County, CA

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Summary

Significance: Building 290 was constructed in 1965 and was significantly used until 1999 when the Downey plant was closed. It was very significant during the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs as a Systems Integration and Checkout facility and served as the final assembly facility for the service and command modules of the Apollo program. Building 290 "was the heart of the Apollo program, combined with Building 6."1

Building 290 is also known for housing the world's largest clean room for 9 months before the Soviet Union superseded it with a similar building. Building 290 was the location where the crew module and aft thrust structures were developed for the Apollo program. "In total over 20 vehicles were constructed in the building."2 At one time, a section of Building 290 was converted into dormitories for the astronauts during testing and training for the Apollo Mission.

Building 290 was the location of spacecraft assembly and integration for the American Space-Age. Building 290 was used by assemblers, technicians and engineers who worked to create the hardware that was responsible for taking men to the moon and made the International Space Station possible.3 Memorial plaques for all of the astronauts who flew into space during the Space Shuttle program are located at the west facade of Building 290 in order to commemorate their bravery and good works.

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 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
Survey number: HAER CA-310-W
Building/structure dates: 1965 Initial Construction

date_range

Date

1969 - 1980
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Contributors

Historic American Engineering Record, creator
place

Location

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Source

Library of Congress
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Copyright info

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html

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