University City in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

GE Re-Entry Systems

AIAA Historic Aerospace Site

Photographed by Craig Baker

1. GE Re-Entry Systems Marker

Inscription.
From 1956 to 1993, employees of General Electric's Re-Entry Systems at this site solved great challenges of national security, defense and manned space exploration, including technologies used for the successful re-entry of Earth's atmosphere; the development of the first operational heat sink and ablative reentry vehicles; the first successful recovery of a man-made object from orbit from an intercontinental ballistic missile flight; the development of the first ablative planetary entry probes to Venus and Jupiter; and the creation of the first operational multiple independently targeted re-entry system.

Erected 2007 by The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the AIAA Historic Aerospace Sites series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.

Location. 39° 57.219′ N, 75° 11.226′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in University City. It is at the intersection of Chestnut Street and 32nd Street, on the right when traveling east on Chestnut Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3180 Chestnut St, Philadelphia PA 19104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Korman Family Quad (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Left Bank (about 500 feet away); Pennsylvania Railroad Depot (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Korman Family Quad (about 500 feet away); Paul Peck Center (about 500 feet away); Anthony J. Drexel (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Korman Family Quad (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Korman Family Quad (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.

Regarding GE Re-Entry Systems. This building was originally constructed as the Pennsylvania Railroad Freight Building in 1929. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Remodeled in 2001, today it is The Left Bank Apartments.

Also see . . . GE Re-entry Systems Building. — AIAA Historic Aerospace Site report, archived on the Minuteman Missile website. (Submitted on January 7, 2026.)

Photographed by Craig Baker

2. GE Re-Entry Systems Marker

GE Re-Entry Systems building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

3. GE Re-Entry Systems building

Today it’s The Left Bank Apartments

courtesy AIAA

4. GE Re-Entry Systems Building

Credits. This page was last revised on January 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 7, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 101 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 7, 2026, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.