Louisiana
Louisiana rocket powers Artemis II moon shot for NASA
Up close view of the launch of Artemis II
Hundreds of media members and special guest from all over the world converge on the LC-39 press site to watch the launch of the Artemis II moon mission
- A rocket largely built in Louisiana is powering the Artemis II mission to the moon.
- NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans manufactured nearly 90 percent of the rocket.
- Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed lunar mission since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
- The mission’s crew is expected to travel farther from Earth than any previous human spaceflight.
A rocket built in Louisiana is powering Artemis II’s trip to the moon.
Nearly 90 percent of the rocket powering the mission was manufactured at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, which is known as “America’s Rocket Factory.”
“For generations, Louisiana has played a central role in America’s aerospace industry, anchored by NASA’s work at Michoud,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “That history has built a skilled workforce, strong supplier networks and advanced manufacturing capabilities across the state. Artemis II reflects that foundation — and signals the opportunity ahead as Louisiana continues to grow its aerospace economy.”
NASA made history on April 1 when it launched a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day expedition around the moon and back, the agency’s first lunar launch since its last Apollo mission in 1972.
Michoud is an 829-acre facility located near downtown New Orleans that has a national economic impact of more than $507 million, according to Hansel Gill, director of NASA Michoud Assembly Facility.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to help strengthen our ties with the community,” Gill said in a statement.
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno held a watch party in her office for the April 1 launch, pointing to the blazing rocket during lift off.
“Incredibly proud that NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East constructed the rocket that will send Artemis II to the moon,” Moreno said in a statement. “The team at Michoud is once again showing the level of innovation possible right here in New Orleans. Let this be a reminder that big things are possible in New Orleans, and when we’re all in, the sky, or even the moon, is the limit.”
Artemis II crew members are expected to travel “farther from Earth than any previous human mission,” according to NASA.
The expedition will send the crew about 252,000 miles into space, which will break the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, when it was roughly 248,000 miles from Earth.
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.