Messerschmidt Aerospace is the largest producer of shuttle- and fighter-class spacecraft and today maintains an excellent reputation for quality defense products.  The Earth-based corporation is headquartered at Munich, and its main production facilities are located in Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Warsaw and Kiev.  Messerschmidt has almost always produced aerospace machinery since its beginnings on Earth in the 20th century.  The corporation also maintains a variety of contracts with the United Imperial Worlds for its spacecraft, considered very reliable.  Messerschmidt is also the only authorized producer of engineered life forms, through its small subsidiary, Müller Cybertechnische Fabrik.  The present CEO of Messerschmidt Aerospace AG is Horst von Kaiserslautern.