NEW ORLEANS — Representatives from NASA came to New Orleans Thursday to show their appreciation for staff at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). The visit marked one year since the successful launch of Artemis I.
They presented Michoud’s Boeing executives with a framed plaque, featuring a badge taken into space during the mission, and a large banner to display in the MAF.
“We are starting the Artemis generation and you guys are a key enabler and a key part of that,” said Michael Sarafin, Artemis Mission Manager, to a group of assembled Boeing staff members.
On November 16, 2022, a Michoud-built Space Launch System (SLS) took off and delivered the Orion spacecraft to deep space as part of the Artemis I mission. Orion flew around the far side of the moon, going farther than any spacecraft designed for a human crew has ever gone.
“Most of you have that day in your mind, and you will never forget what you saw,” said Sarafin.
The visit also highlighted the MAF’s work on the next Artemis missions. Artemis II is set to launch in November 2024. It will take four astronauts on a similar route as Artemis I, marking the first crewed lunar mission in almost 50 years.
The MAF recently finished attaching all four engines to the SLS for Artemis II. Three of the astronauts came to the facility Thursday to see the work being done on the rocket that will take them to the moon.
“The thing that strikes you is the scale,” said Mission Specialist Christina Koch. “It’s the scale of your hearts and souls, the scale of your dedication.”
The Michoud facility is already working on assembling rockets for future missions. Artemis III will land on the moon for the first time since the Apollo program. Its astronauts will explore the lunar south pole. The purpose of Artemis IV will be to begin assembly of the Lunar Gateway, a space station in orbit around the moon.
At the ceremony, Boeing also presented a $100,00 grant to the Greater New Orleans Development Foundation. The money will fund internships for students at HBCUs and STEM programs for local kids and teens.
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