New Orleans engineers help build Artemis II for historic moon mission

Forty-five Michoud employees traveled to Florida to witness the rocket's launch, which was built in New Orleans East.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 10:52pm

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The Artemis II rocket, which lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon, has deep roots in New Orleans. The Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East is where workers built the rocket, the crew capsule, and the launch abort system. Forty-five Michoud employees made the trip to Florida to witness the historic launch.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission marks the first time in more than 50 years that humans will travel to the moon, and the New Orleans area played a crucial role in making it happen. The successful launch of Artemis II lays the groundwork for future Artemis missions that aim to land astronauts on the lunar surface by 2028.

The details

The Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East is where workers built the Artemis II rocket, the crew capsule, and the launch abort system - the safety system designed to pull astronauts to safety if something goes wrong on the launch pad. In addition, NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, just across the border from New Orleans, tested the engines that power the Artemis rocket into space. Nunez Community College in Chalmette is also feeding the pipeline, training students to one day build rockets and space systems at Michoud.

  • On April 1, 2026, the Artemis II rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon and back.

The players

Michoud Assembly Facility

A NASA facility in New Orleans East where workers built the Artemis II rocket, the crew capsule, and the launch abort system.

NASA Stennis Space Center

A NASA facility in Mississippi that tested the engines that power the Artemis rocket into space.

Nunez Community College

A college in Chalmette, Louisiana that is training students to work in the aerospace industry and build rockets and space systems at the Michoud facility.

Craig Betbeze

A NASA spokesman who traveled from the Michoud facility to witness the Artemis II launch at Kennedy Space Center.

Jahlei Francois

A first-year student at Nunez Community College who is interested in space and hopes to one day help send a rocket into space.

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What they’re saying

“We'd like to say that the road to space goes through New Orleans. We are America's Rocket Factory, and we're down here to see the launch. It couldn't be a more exciting time. This is our Super Bowl.”

— Craig Betbeze, NASA spokesman

“These are the aerospace technicians. They get the hands-on training here, and then they can move into the aerospace industry and actually do the manufacturing, the niche manufacturing that goes into building these very complicated and sophisticated rockets.”

— Tina Tinney, Chancellor, Nunez Community College

“Honestly, it's very cool to me. I used to watch the news when I was younger. I was always interested in space and the moon and the sun, everything about that.”

— Jahlei Francois, First-year student, Nunez Community College

What’s next

Artemis II is intended as a test flight to check out systems and equipment, laying the groundwork for future missions to land astronauts on the moon in 2028.

The takeaway

The successful launch of Artemis II, with its deep roots in the New Orleans area, marks a historic milestone in the return of human exploration to the moon. The collaboration between NASA facilities, local colleges, and the aerospace workforce in the region has been crucial in making this mission a reality.