Mason's Rocketdyne blasts off on its own
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Rocketdyne, formerly L3Harris' space propulsion business, is once again operating as an independent company and says its Mason campus will remain at the center of its future growth.
Why it matters: The split isn't expected to mean layoffs or a smaller local footprint, Rocketdyne's new CEO Kristin Houston told Axios on Monday during her visit to Mason.
- Rocketdyne instead plans to grow, with more hiring and an expanded role for the Warren County site that helps power Mars rovers and launch vehicles and national security satellites.
The big picture: Rocketdyne is more than 60 years old, but has spent recent years operating as a piece of larger aerospace companies, most recently L3Harris, a defense contractor.
- The move to independence follows investment firm AE Industrial Partners' acquisition of L3Harris' space propulsion, power and electronics businesses.
- Following the move, Rocketdyne now employs about 1,300 people across its five locations, including roughly 350 in Mason.
Why Mason? Houston said Southwest Ohio has quietly become one of the country's strongest pipelines for aerospace talent, with most of the Mason workforce coming from the region.
- She pointed to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, GE Aerospace and nearby universities as reasons Rocketdyne wants to keep investing locally.
What they're saying: "People who grow up here want to stay here," said Houston, who has family who've lived in the area for more than 20 years. The former Boeing leader spent the past few years regularly visiting the campus while overseeing the business at L3Harris.
- "I know the workforce here, the talent and the products that are produced," she continued. "The pride and passion from this workforce and what they do to support space" stand out.
What's next: Mason will become Rocketdyne's center of excellence for space electronics, Houston said.
- The site's avionics and communications systems support Mars rovers, launch vehicles carrying astronauts and satellites and NASA's Artemis Moon missions.
- "We really see ourselves as growing, not shrinking," Houston said.
The bottom line: Houston likes to say "the road to space goes through Ohio."
- "If you want to see data and images coming off Mars, you can thank the team here in Mason."