FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sep 04, 2008
San Diego, Calif., 4 Sept. 2008. General Atomics (GA) Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) division announces the opening of its new office in Andover, Mass. (5th congressional district). This office will establish GA’s presence in the New England area and will initially focus on the design and development of both low and high temperature superconductivity and magnetic systems and technologies. This facility will be initially staffed with three engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center, but is expected to grow as additional long-term development efforts come to fruition.
Mr. Bradford Smith will head up the office and will focus on design and development efforts in support of the ITER project with General Atomics. While at MIT, Mr. Smith managed other large magnet projects including the Muon-to-Electron Conversion experiment (MECO) magnet for the National Science Foundation and the Gammas, Electrons and Muons (GEM) detector magnet for the Department of Energy’s Superconducting Supercollider. Additionally, Mr. Alexi Radovinsky and Mr. Peter Titus, who complete the initial staffing, are world-renowned analysts in electromagnetics, dynamic mechanical systems and structural design and analysis. The group has over 70 years of combined magnet technology and superconducting magnet experience and has published many papers in the field.
In addition to these ITER development efforts, this office will also support ongoing EMS division programs that use superconducting magnets, including the Superconducting DC Homopolar Motor being developed for ship propulsion and the superconducting magnetic levitation (maglev) system installed at the Holloman Air Force base test track. The Boston office will also support other magnet programs GA EMS is currently working on and will be supported by the GA EMS Corporate facility in Rancho Bernardo, CA.
GA’s EMS division vice president, Scott Forney, says, “The establishment of the Boston-area office reflects GA's commitment to the pursuit of advanced magnet programs. Related magnetics programs will be supported by both the new Andover staff and the San Diego-based team of scientists, engineers, and program managers. GA is working on multiple advanced magnet opportunities, which are enabled by the Andover senior staff.”
“I am so pleased to welcome General Atomics to Andover and the 5th Congressional District,” said Congresswoman Niki Tsongas. “General Atomics joins a distinguished group of local employers that are on the cutting edge of scientific innovation and research. I look forward to working with this outstanding company as they further grow their enterprise in our region.”
General Atomics, founded in 1955, specializes in diversified research, development, and manufacturing in defense, energy, and other advanced technologies. Affiliated manufacturing and commercial service companies include General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., which produces the Predator® family of unmanned aircraft systems.
For further information contact:
Carl Fisher
Director, Business Development Advanced Technologies Group
(202) 496-8217
carl.fisher@ga.com
Doug Fouquet
Public Relations
(858) 455-2173
fouquet@ga.com