“America’s rocket factory”. That’s what they call Michoud. Right here in New Orleans East, we have the Michoud Assembly Facility. This sprawling 832-acre complex has played a pivotal role in some of humanity’s most daring adventures. Michoud has been a giant of industry, a birthplace of innovation, and a launchpad for dreams that reached for the stars.
Michoud’s story began in 1940, not with rockets, but with wartime urgency. Andrew Jackson Higgins, the mastermind behind the Higgins Boat landing craft, built this very facility. It was intended to produce plywood cargo planes for World War II. The war ended, and Michoud’s purpose shifted. It churned out tank engines for the Korean War, its vast spaces echoing with the clang of industry.
But Michoud’s true destiny lay beyond the clouds. In 1961, NASA claimed this place. They transformed it into a cathedral of space exploration. Michoud became the birthplace of the mighty Saturn rockets. The very rockets that propelled the Apollo missions toward the moon were built within these walls. Imagine: the colossal Saturn V, taller than the Statue of Liberty, first took shape right here.
Michoud’s legacy continued with the Space Shuttle program. For decades, the iconic orange external fuel tanks were meticulously crafted within these buildings. Each tank, a marvel of engineering, fueled 135 shuttle missions, carrying dreams and discoveries into orbit. Today, Michoud is writing the next chapter in space exploration. Within its walls, the Space Launch System (SLS) is coming to life: the most powerful rocket ever built. The SLS is set to propel the Orion spacecraft – and with it, a new generation of astronauts – to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.