New Orleans Launches the United States Back to Space with NASA’s Artemis Moon Mission
In recognition of NASA’s Artemis II launch later today, New Orleans is highlighting a legacy decades in the making. Nearly 90 percent of the rocket powering the mission was manufactured at the Michoud Assembly Facility, part of a long-standing aerospace presence that has employed thousands of local workers and generated billions in economic impact for the region.
For more than six decades, Michoud has been a cornerstone of America’s space program, supporting missions from Apollo to the Space Shuttle to today’s Artemis program. The facility remains one of the largest manufacturing sites of its kind in the world and continues to anchor a regional aerospace ecosystem that supports high-skill jobs, local suppliers, and long-term economic growth across Southeast Louisiana.
“Artemis is not a one-off moment for this region, it is the continuation of a deep and durable economic engine,” said Michael Hecht, President and CEO of GNO, Inc. “This is a sector that supports families with high-quality careers, sustains a broad network of contractors and suppliers, and reinforces Greater New Orleans as a serious center for advanced manufacturing. Artemis II is an incredible milestone, but it’s also a reminder that the region’s aerospace legacy is enduring, and its future is still being written.”
Artemis II represents the latest milestone in that history. The mission’s Space Launch System rocket, the most powerful ever built, relies heavily on structures and components manufactured in New Orleans, reinforcing the city’s essential role in human spaceflight.
“The NASA Michoud Assembly Facility is an 829-acre facility located near Downtown New Orleans which has a national economic impact of over $507 million,” said Hansel Gill, Director of NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Director. “We are grateful for this opportunity to help strengthen our ties with the community.”
To mark the Artemis II launch window, New Orleans will feature a series of highly visible public displays celebrating the workforce, industry, and legacy behind the mission.
The displays include special lighting on the Caesars Superdome featuring a custom Artemis-themed gobo projection, coordinated colored lighting on the Crescent City Connection, and digital billboards in key locations across the city. Together, the installations spotlight not just the mission itself, but the generations of New Orleanians whose work made it possible.
The incredible collaboration from GNO, Inc., Caesar’s Superdome, Downtown Development District of New Orleans, the National WWII Museum, the City of New Orleans, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Downtown building management teams, and OUTFRONT Media helped make the displays come to life. Through the illumination of the City’s skyline, these partners helped showcase to the world that New Orleans proudly celebrates it’s people, it’s culture, and the industry partners who make this city a truly special place to call home.
Artemis II is a rare moment when a global headline is also a local story, built by New Orleans workers over decades at Michoud. Alongside the mission milestone, the launch offers an opportunity to recognize the skilled trades, engineers, and families whose work has powered America’s space program from Apollo to today.
“The Artemis program reflects decades of investment in New Orleans people and industrial capacity,” said Dr. Jenny Mains, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development. “Through the work done at the Michoud Assembly Facility, our city continues to support high-quality jobs, advanced manufacturing, and a regional aerospace ecosystem that drives long-term economic growth for New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana.”
NASA’s long-standing presence has also delivered lasting economic value across Louisiana, as seen through a broad network of contractors and suppliers across the region who provide materials, services, and skilled labor that help keep production and mission schedules on track.
“For generations, Louisiana has played a central role in America’s aerospace industry, anchored by NASA’s work at Michoud,” LED 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.”
Dozens of industry partners play an essential role in translating NASA’s mission into flight-ready hardware, designing, fabricating, assembling, and integrating the systems that must perform flawlessly from ignition through ascent and beyond. At Michoud, that work includes large-scale manufacturing and structural assembly that requires specialized tooling, quality controls, and an experienced workforce trained to aerospace standards.
Boeing is a prime contractor on the Space Launch System and supports major elements of the rocket’s development and integration.
“Facilities like Michoud are irreplaceable to missions of this complexity,” said Chrystal Morgan, Director of State & Local Government Relations at Boeing. “The size of the hardware, the precision required, and the demands of human spaceflight mean this work can only happen in a place with the right infrastructure and an experienced workforce. The teams in New Orleans deliver at a level that allows us to meet exacting standards while keeping Artemis on a path toward launch.”
As Artemis II prepares to lift off, New Orleans is not marking a single moment, but reaffirming its long-standing role in American aerospace. From Apollo to Artemis, the city’s contribution to space exploration remains a defining and enduring part of its future.
