General Atomics

General Atomics
Type Private
Founded 1955
Headquarters San Diego, California, U.S.
Key people Neal Blue
Linden Blue
Website www.ga.com

General Atomics is a nuclear physics and defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, California. General Atomics’ research into fission and fusion matured into competencies in related technologies, allowing the company to expand into other fields of research. General Atomics develops systems ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, provides unmanned aerial vehicles and radar solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company’s Aircraft Systems Group is a designer and manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including the Predator, Reaper, Sky Warrior and Avenger. The Reconnaissance Systems Group designs, manufactures, and integrates the Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)/GMTI radar into both manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as the CLAW sensor control and image analysis software, and integrates sensor and communications equipment into manned ISR aircraft.

Contents

History

General Atomics (GA) was founded July 18, 1955 in San Diego, California as the General Atomic division of General Dynamics "for the purpose of harnessing the power of nuclear technologies for the benefit of mankind".

GA's very first offices were in the General Dynamics facility on Hancock Street in San Diego. GA also used a schoolhouse on San Diego's Barnard Street as its temporary headquarters, which it would later "adopt" as part of its Education Outreach program. San Diego voters approved the transfer of land to GA for permanent facilities in Torrey Pines and the John Jay Hopkins Laboratory for Pure and Applied Science was formally dedicated there on June 25, 1959. The Torrey Pines facility continues to serve as the company's headquarters today.

The initial projects were the TRIGA nuclear reactor and Project Orion.

On March 15, 2010, Cassidy stepped down as President of GA-ASI, staying on as non-executive chairman of the company's management committee. Frank Pace, the executive vice president of Aircraft Systems Group, succeeded Cassidy as President of GA-ASI.[4]

General Atomics is also developing a Generation IV reactor design, the Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR). In 2010, General Atomics presented a new version of the GT-MHR, the Energy Multiplier Module (EM2), which uses fast neutrons and is a Gas-cooled fast reactor.[5]

Business groups

Affiliated companies

Educational outreach

Since 1992, the General Atomics Science Education Outreach Program, a volunteer effort of GA employees and San Diego science teachers, has worked with Science Coordinators for the San Diego Schools to bring the business and research side of science into the classroom. The goal is both to improve the quality of science education and to encourage more students to pursue science careers. In addition, the teachers' interactions with the scientists and exposure to everyday uses of their disciplines help them to be better educators.

In 1995, the program was expanded, and the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation [501(c) (3)] was established. The General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation’s goal is to play a major role in enhancing pre-college education in science, engineering and new technologies. To attain this goal, four areas of core competency at General Atomics were initially selected to form the basis for the development of inquiry-based education modules and associated workshops. Scientist/teacher teams wrote these modules, which fuse the content and methodology of industrial research and development with the teaching skills of experienced science teachers.

Hundreds of teachers attended the initial workshops. Since the first workshops, additional educational modules have been developed and presented to teachers at local, state, and national conferences. Two of the modules developed attracted the interest of professional educational institutes, who have transformed them into educational modules that are being distributed nationally.

When these workshops are presented at conferences, the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation supports the printing of various associated materials that are handed out to all participants, as well as the travel expenses of the General Atomics scientist presenters.

The General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation has supported many local education projects such as the PISCES Project and the San Diego Science Festival.[20]

Accolades

Controversy

Government influence

General Atomics was the single biggest corporate underwriter of Congressional trips between January 2000 and June 2005, according to a nine-month study of congressional travel disclosure forms. Since 2005, the Center for Responsible Politics reported General Atomics had spent over $1.5 million per year in lobbying efforts from 2005 to 2011.[27]

In April 2002, the company paid for Letitia White, who was then a top aide to Representative Jerry Lewis, and her husband to travel to Italy. White left Lewis' office nine months later, to become a lobbyist at Copeland Lowery. The next day, she began representing General Atomics. Lewis, her former boss, was at the time chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.ripe.net/ripe/maillists/archives/lir-wg/1992/msg00028.html
  2. ^ http://scout.wisc.edu
  3. ^ "Profile: General Atomics"
  4. ^ "Unmanned aircraft pioneer Thomas J. Cassidy Jr. retires", LA Times, accessed 16 March 2010]
  5. ^ General Atomics EM2 website, accessed 18 Oct 2010
  6. ^ GA Energy Group
  7. ^ General Atomics Aeronautical Systems web site, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  8. ^ General Atomics Electronic Systems web site, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  9. ^ About General Atomics Electronic Systems Inc., accessed 2 Feb 2010
  10. ^ General Atomics Energy Products web site, accessed 22 Feb 2010
  11. ^ TRIGA, University of Utah, accessed 7 May 2010
  12. ^ GA-SI website, accessed 1 May 2010
  13. ^ ConverDyn web site, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  14. ^ Cotter Corporation web site, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  15. ^ Beverley mine, Heathgate Resources web site, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  16. ^ Nuclear Fuels Corporation, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  17. ^ Rio Grande Resources Corporation, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  18. ^ Spezialtechnik Dresden and Subsidiaries, accessed 19 Jan 2010
  19. ^ ICE Catalog, accessed 14 Oct 2009
  20. ^ "Sciences Education Foundation Background Information"
  21. ^ Press Release, "Frost & Sullivan Recognizes GA-ASI as the Outstanding Provider of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Tactical Reconnaissance Radars for the U.S. Armed Forces"
  22. ^ "Firms Seek Strategies for Riding Out Downturn"
  23. ^ Press Release, "GA-ASI Earns Frost & Sullivan’s Recognition for Business Development Strategy Leadership for Gains in Unmanned Aerial Systems Market"
  24. ^ 2004 Aerospace Award Recipients, Air Force Association
  25. ^ "AUVSI Foundation Awards Program"
  26. ^ "General Atomics Media Information"
  27. ^ http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000317&year=2011
  28. ^ "Report: Trips buy 'access that you and I can't get'"

External links

General Atomics aircraft
Designation

RQ-1/MQ-1 · MQ-1C · MQ-9 · MQ-12
Name