In December 2017 it was anounced that - for an unannounced sum - a privately owned firm Georgia-based tech company - Advanced Core Concepts or ACC - had acquired ACTA Inc.,-- an aerospace engineering firm based in Torrance, CA. ACTA jad been organized around evaluation of firing range safety hazards and risk from space launch vehicle debris, blast, fire and toxic gases for the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and public agencies and petrochemical firms worldwide. The SBIR firm's employees specialize in complex risk mitigation analysis for operations that include space launches and chemical and nuclear material processing. The company also had developed specialized software for engineering solutions that require mathematical modeling. The acquisition was indicated as enabling ACC to bolster its position as a provider of analytical engineering, software development services and technical support for the Department of Defense, company officials say. The merger followed the appointment of Richard Matlock - a former executive of advance technology for the defense departmentÂ’s Missile Defense Agency, to ACCÂ’s board of advisors. The newly combined company now employs over 250 workers - hence, the new entity remains SBIR eligible. Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary - keeping its main office in Torrance. With multiple facilities in California and one in Florida, ACTA had provided risk analyses of orbital and ballistic launch vehicles, interceptors and targets, and sounding rockets while also evaluating flight safety hazards and the risks to communities from vehicle debris, explosions and toxic gases. The firm also provided expertise for managing risks from complex weapon systems such as the ABL and ATL directed energy weapons - having on staff expertise in the arenas:of: * launch vehicle range safety * explosive safety for military storage facilities * petrochemical facility hazard and risk analysis and * research and development of the effects of damage to military and civilian structures