Wonder what it takes to build rockets? The Michoud Assembly Facility stands before us. It is a sprawling testament to human ingenuity and the relentless pursuit of space exploration.
This is not just a factory. It is a place where dreams take shape. For over six decades, Michoud Assembly Facility has been “America’s Rocket Factory.” NASA owns this facility. It is managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Back in the 1700s, this land was part of a French Royal land grant. Later, Antoine Michoud operated a sugarcane plantation here. Two smokestacks from his refinery still stand near the facility today.
In 1940, the U.S. government bought the land. They built a production facility for WWII cargo aircraft. Later, they made tank engines for the Korean War. NASA acquired Michoud Assembly Facility in 1961. Dr. Wernher von Braun recommended the purchase.
From here, Chrysler and Boeing built the first stages of the Saturn rockets. These rockets powered the Apollo missions to the moon. Later, Martin Marietta Corporation constructed the Space Shuttle’s external fuel tanks here. 136 tanks were made. The last one flew in 2011.
Today, Michoud Assembly Facility is building the Space Launch System or SLS core stage. Boeing is the prime contractor. This is the largest rocket stage NASA has ever constructed. The SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft. It will take astronauts to the Moon and beyond.
The main manufacturing building is massive. It has 43 acres under one roof. That’s enough space for over 31 football fields. The facility also has two vertical assembly buildings. One contains the world’s largest spacecraft welding tool. It’s a robotic stir-welding tank.
Michoud Assembly Facility uses state-of-the-art manufacturing. This includes friction stir welding. They can build several core stages at once. The SLS core stage is 212 feet tall. It stores 733000 gallons of super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. Four RS-25 engines power the rocket. They generate over 2 million pounds of thrust during launch.
Lockheed Martin also manufactures Orion structures here. This includes the crew module pressure vessel. It ensures a sealed life support environment for the crew.
Completed rocket stages can be moved to the on-site pier. A barge then takes the rocket stage to the Mississippi River or the Gulf of Mexico. Finished stages are shipped to Kennedy Space Center in Florida or Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.
NASA estimates that Michoud’s activities have a major economic impact on Louisiana.
Even weather events have tested this facility. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, 38 NASA employees stayed behind to keep the pumps operating. They removed over one billion gallons of water. Their bravery earned them NASA’s Exceptional Bravery Medal. A tornado in 2017 damaged the main building.
Michoud Assembly Facility stands as a symbol of American innovation. It is a place where the impossible becomes possible. As we stand here, we are reminded that the pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds.