NASA’s Artemis campaign aims to return humans to the moon, and rocket engines made in Washington state are playing a crucial role. The first three missions rely on 32 rocket engines produced at L3Harris’ Redmond facility.
According to Kathryn Luczek, L3Harris Orion Deputy Program Manager, reliable engines are essential for safe orbital maneuvering. “We need to make engines that we know will work well and right,” she emphasized.
Woody Hoburg, a NASA astronaut, highlighted the importance of exploring the moon’s surface. “The Apollo missions only reached the equatorial regions – imagine visiting Earth but only going to the equator! There’s much more to discover on the moon.”
The upcoming mission, scheduled for April next year, will take humans around the moon for the first time since 1972. Howard Hu, Orion Program Manager, noted the harsh realities of space travel, including radiation and limited resources.
NASA plans to set up moon bases and conduct scientific discoveries, with the third mission landing astronauts on the lunar surface. The Artemis campaign is a step towards achieving these ambitious goals.
Source: https://komonews.com/newsletter-daily/washington-made-rockets-taking-nasa-to-the-moon-for-the-first-time-in-half-a-century-redmond-travel-mars-colonization-base-international-space-neil-armstrong-eclipse-travel-industry-wxploration