By Muhammed El-Hasan
DAILY BREEZE

George Trahan has watched the recent pictures sent from Mars with a mix of personal interest and professional pride.

The president and CEO of Hi-Shear Technology Corp. in Torrance oversaw production and delivery of dozens of pyrotechnic devices used in NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Mission.

On Wednesday, Trahan welcomed President Bush’s proposal to put astronauts on Mars as a positive step for the nation and a potentially lucrative development for his company.

“We do supply NASA quite a bit of our pyrotechnic products,” said Trahan, adding that he expects his company to make products for the space mission Bush envisions.

Hi-Shear’s devices were used in the recent Mars mission to initiate air bags, deploy the parachute, eject the heat shield, and perform several other major functions.

The South Bay and Southern California — home to a major part of the world’s space industry — stand to gain from the administration’s ambitious Mars plan.

California has a $24 billion space industry, representing 29 percent of the global space market, according to the California Space Authority. About 300,000 people work on space programs statewide and receive $12 billion in wages.

Much of that industry is located in Southern California with companies such as Northrop Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co.

“We have the intellectual capital, manufacturing prowess. Were here and ready to go,” said Andrea Seastrand, executive director of the authority.

“Where you are is one of the most important space strategic areas. You have it almost all over Southern California.”

Seastrand cautioned that “the amount of investment, I know it’s going to be slow to begin with.”

Local firms play key role

South Bay companies already make numerous parts and systems and provide services for the space shuttle, space station, rockets and satellites.

Bush’s proposal includes an additional $1 billion in NASA funding over the next five years and $11 billion in reallocated NASA money.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp. would likely be the prime candidates to lead development of the new space vehicle, although Northrop Grumman Corp. also would have a chance to serve as prime contractor, said Paul H. Nisbet, defense industry analyst at JSA Research.

Northrop Grumman has done work on reusable launch vehicles in El Segundo and research satellites in Redondo Beach. Boeing has a satellite factory in El Segundo and operations in Orange County.

“Until NASA translates the president’s vision into specific programs, it’s difficult for us to determine what Northrop Grumman’s involvement will be,” spokesman Randy Belote said. “Suffice it to say, because of the technology we have to offer and our rich legacy in both manned and unmanned missions, Northrop Grumman will play a role.”

A Boeing NASA Systems representative in Houston was not available for comment.

It’s also too early to tell how the administration’s plan will affect The Aerospace Corp., an El Segundo-based quasi-governmental research organization for the Air Force, spokesman Dave Jonta said.

The Aerospace Corp. has extensive experience with launch vehicles, not so much with manned vehicles, Jonta said. But his organization likely will be on the Mars mission’s radar screen, he said.

Former Air Force leader to aid project

Bush appointed former Secretary of the Air Force Edward C. Pete Aldridge Jr. on Wednesday as chairman of a federal commission to help push forward the Mars plan. Aldridge served as The Aerospace Corp.’s president and CEO until 2001.

“We dont know how that will affect us, but at least he knows our capabilities here,” Jonta said.

“It’s great news for Wyle Laboratories,” said Gus Yiakas, the El Segundo-based company’s chairman, president and CEO.

Wyle Laboratories tests components used in the space shuttle and space station, prepares medical experiments, and helps to train NASA astronauts.

“It’s going to increase our business,” said Yiakas, noting that he expects contracts for life science experiments and engineering from the Mars plan.

“Talking to our technical people and engineers, they see it as exciting and glamorous.”

Advanced Machine & Stretchform International, a Carson metal forming firm that makes parts for the space shuttle, also sees the Mars plan as a new opportunity for business.

The firm makes parts for rockets made separately by Lockheed and Boeing.

“I think all of these things would be involved in these missions. In that case, this would be a major boon for us,” president Bob Hansen said.

Klaus Biber, a retired space engineer who worked on NASA’s Mariner Mars 4 mission in the mid-1960s and later helped design the Pioneer 10 for TRW, said the Mars plan could capture the imagination of a new generation of engineers.

“It . . . gives a lot of the next generation of engineers and scientists some motivation to go into this field,” said Biber, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident. “I tend to get excited about it.”

Publish Date:January 15, 2004