Scope and Content Note
The records of the American Rocket Company span the years 1958-1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1981 to 1984. The records are in English and are organized into the following sections: Space Enterprise Consultants, ARC Technologies, Starstruck Corporation, American Rocket Company, legislation, policy development, and miscellany.
The American Rocket Company was preceded by a sequence of companies beginning with Space Enterprise Consultants followed by ARC Technologies and Starstuck Corporation. These companies developed and launched rockets into space for commercial purposes. Space Enterprise Consultants, based in Washington, D.C., existed alongside the other companies and served as a liaison between them and legislative and military bodies. The companies’ records, arranged alphabetically by type of material, include business plans, correspondence, financial records, legal records, meeting minutes and notes, organizational structure, reports, and technical papers.
The officers of the companies regularly engaged in developing a national policy for the transition from government and military control of space to private commercial uses. Various legislative bills that were proposed are arranged alphabetically by the title of the bill. The collection documents the efforts of numerous government committees and private consultant groups as they attempted to formulate policies regarding launch safety and insurance, government agency oversight, licensing procedures, and fair pricing systems, among other issues.
A miscellany section contains conference material, printed matter, and technical papers.