Thiokol is the world's largest producer of high-technology solid rocket motors for space, defense, and commercial launch application

Thiokol produce the giant solid rocket motors for NASA's Space Shuttle program and a broad range of propulsion systems for launching and positioning systems for military and commercial customers worldwide. In addition, Thiokol is a world leader in illumination flare technology and production, and provides demilitarization of solid rocket motors and warheads. 

Thiokol's space and defense capability is the industry's premier research and development organization. Operating R&D laboratories and a test area with a replacement value well over $200 million, we have developed thousands of products - from an ambient-stored epoxy resin to the only human-rated solid propulsion boosters. Our team comprises all disciplines needed to fully design, analyze and develop materials, processes and components needed to support ongoing programs as well as next-generation rocket motor requirements.

State-of-the-art chemical, thermal, and mechanical property characterization, in addition to advanced methods, such as 3-D solid modeling, non-linear visco-elastic and hyper-elastic material models, full 3-D thermal/structural finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics and non-destructive test technology, are utilized to achieve world-class support of national programs like the Space Shuttle reusable solid rocket motors (RSRM).

Thiokol also maintain a fully certified Environmental Lab and a nationally accredited Industrial Hygiene Laboratory to ensure complete compliance with environmental and industrial hygiene testing regulations.

Thiokol is a member of the Solid Propulsion Industry Action Group, providing information and promoting solid propulsion systems.

Successful testing of energetic materials, rocket motors and other aerospace products requires outstanding personnel, state-of-the-art equipment, and excellent operating and safety procedures. Thiokol has been safely and successfully serving the aerospace community for many years. Thiokol test area covers 4,000 acres. A variety of dynamic, environmental, structural and static testing is supported by our experience in control system design, high-reliability cable manufacturing, and specialty transducer development and instrumentation installation. Thiokol personnel, facilities and equipment can accommodate many special testing needs.   

Born in 1926 as a result of a serendipitous laboratory experiment that produced the world's first synthetic rubber, the company was formally created as the Thiokol Chemical Corporation in 1929.  The company name (Thiokol) refers to that discovery and stems from the Greek words for sulphur and glue.  Its liquid polymer rubber was used extensively during the war years as an indestructible sealant for fuel tanks, gun turrets, and seams of all kinds.  Liquid polymer sealants were the company's major products for years, but the corporate future changed forever when scientists at Cal Tech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered that the polymer made the best (at that time) solid propellant fuel binder known to man.

Small-scale rocket operations were begun at Elkton, Maryland, in 1948 and by 1949; facilities were opened at the Army's Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.  Successes with ever-larger solid propellant motors led the company in 1956 to take a giant gamble: without a contract in hand, the company bought acreage in Northern Utah just seven miles from where the Central and Union Pacific railroads drove the Golden Spike in 1869.  A $3 million plant was soon developed to manufacture the huge rocket motors foreseen for the future. 

The gamble paid off in 1958 with the award of the contract to build the first stage for the Air Force's revolutionary Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Project Farside in 1957 marked Thiokol's introduction to the space race.  Five Recruit motors, developed in Huntsville and produced in Elkton, powered the probe from its balloon launch into deep space. 

The Elkton Division manufactured the critical de-orbit motors for the Mercury and Gemini manned space programs, staging and separation motors for Apollo lunar missions, and a variety of motors for the Pioneer, Surveyor, Viking, Voyager, Magellan, and other unmanned programs.  Today the division manufactures over 90 percent of the world's satellite booster motors.  Ranging in size from 5 to 92 inches in diameter, these high-energy STAR™ motors are used to boost satellites and other payloads from low earth orbits to their final orbits or interplanetary trajectories.

Also in 1958, Thiokol merged with Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI).  RMI was the first enterprise devoted to the commercialisation of the rocket engine.  Some of RMI's major contracts were to produce liquid fuel engines for such aircraft as the Bell Aircraft Corporation X-l  (the first aircraft to fly faster than the speed of sound), the Douglas D-558-1 No. 2 Skyrocket (the first aircraft to exceed twice the speed of sound) and the record-breaking North American Aviation X-15, a hypersonic rocket powered airplane.

The Huntsville Division’s contribution to space began in 1959 with the development first flight of the CASTOR® I on NASA's Little Joe vehicle.  The CASTOR motor series has served as stages for Scout and strap-on boosters for the Delta space launcher for three decades. In fact, CASTOR has the longest and best reliability record of any solid rocket booster ever built. Continued success with Minuteman and other solid propellant rocket programs laid the groundwork for research programs for giant solid rocket motors.  The Peacekeeper missile and Space Shuttle booster motor programs were eventual products of that research.  At the same time, Thiokol entered into a unique joint venture to develop the Navy's Poseidon submarine-launched missile. 

That joint venture continued successfully through the Trident I and Trident II programs. Thiokol has long been involved in the development and production of both tactical and strategic missiles. The Gorgon was the first U.S liquid rocket powered missile, produced by RMI in 1944, and the Falcon was the first solid rocket missile, produced by Thiokol in 1949.  Some of these missile systems such as the Falcon, Subroc and Pershing served reliably for decades.

With a strong experience base in energetic materials, production of ordnance items was a logical step.  Thiokol began operating the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant in Marshall, Texas, in 1952.  In 1975 we added a contract to operate the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, located near Shreveport, Louisiana (both ordnance plants closed in the 1990s). Meanwhile, the company used its expertise in propellants to develop castable illuminating flares at its Utah facilities and is today the world's largest supplier of such devices for both U.S. and foreign markets.

The largest change in the company's history came in 1982 when the Morton Norwich Company merged with Thiokol to become Morton Thiokol, Inc.  Although it was primarily Thiokol's specialty chemicals and commercial products that prompted the merger, the aerospace business represented an extremely healthy diversification option.  The marriage of specialty chemicals, solid propulsion, and salt was a good one for nearly a decade. 

In 1989 the company was split once again.  Morton International was assigned all of the commercial businesses including specialty chemicals, salt, and the aerospace-developed automobile occupant air bag restraint system.  Thiokol Corporation retained all of the government programs. In 1998, we changed our corporate name from Thiokol Corporation to Cordant Technologies Inc.  

Thiokol Propulsion is the name under which we manufacture and market our solid rocket propulsion systems and advanced composite materials. 

In 2000, Cordant Technologies became part of the newly formed Alcoa Industrial Components (AIC) Group.  AIC is focused on high-performance, highly engineered products for aerospace, automotive, industrial gas turbine and other applications.  The Group combines the manufacturing and technical strengths of Alcoa Automotive and Alcoa Wheel and Forged Products with that of Howmet Castings, Huck Fasteners and Thiokol Propulsion.  Our reputation, however, remains as an enterprise renowned for superior technological expertise, strategic diversification and relentless quality improvements in product, service and operational performance.

TCR Composites

The TCR Composites division was formed as a result of Thiokol's research and development to produce a lightweight, low-cost composite product for space and propulsion applications that would eliminate the problems of conventional prepregs. TCR prepreg is a unique high-performance epoxy material that can be stored at ambient temperatures for at least one year. Resin content, resin flow during cure, and tack levels can be modified to suit your process requirements. This new prepreg has been baselined in new commercial launch vehicles, recreational equipment, and commercial industrial products. Thiokol not only develops materials, we put them to use. TCR products can help solve the toughest composite challenges with excellent technical support.

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Jan. 9, 2003 :

Space Milestones

Mercury - Gemini - Apollo - NASDA - MIR - NASA