NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Hundreds of workers at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility are celebrating the successful return of the Artemis II capsule, marking the end of a mission they helped make possible.
Officials said about 90% of the Artemis spacecraft was built at Michoud, known as “America’s Rocket Factory,” by nearly 1,000 employees.
“If you walk through the factory you see the excitement after the splashdown, but there’s no time to waste,” plant Deputy Director Keith Savoy said.
The splashdown ended a 10-day mission that sent four crewmembers around the moon at 17,000 mph. During the mission, the crew captured views of a lunar eclipse of Earth and the far side of the moon, and Savoy said the flight went flawlessly.
In this image provided by NASA, The Artemis II crew captured this view of an Earthset on Monday, April 6, 2026, as they flew around the Moon. (NASA via AP)(AP)
Artemis astronauts complete Moon flyby, head home(wwsb)
En la imagen, proporcionada por la NASA, la tripulación de Artemis II captó esta vista de la Tierra detrás de la Luna durante un sobrevuelo lunar, el lunes 6 de abril de 2026. (NASA vía AP)(AP)
There was one issue involving a clogged toilet, but Savoy said that problem did not come from New Orleans.
“No it wasn’t here, but that’s not an uncommon thing because of the ice of the water,” Savoy said.
Artemis II astronauts regularly visited Michoud to check on the progress of the 322-foot spacecraft, which was assembled with the help of contractors from Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Morton Thiokol, along with NASA employees.
Savoy said the facility used friction stir welding and decades of experience to help build hardware for the mission’s 685,000-mile journey.
Now, attention has already shifted to Artemis III.
ARTEMIS III(rob masson)
Workers are preparing to move out the next 212-foot core stage for the next moon mission, currently planned for 2027.
“It will go to the barge and take a six or seven day trip to KSC,” Savoy said, referring to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Two more Artemis missions using recycled space shuttle engines are planned for launch in 2028. Officials said Michoud is expected to continue playing a major role as NASA pushes toward future missions that could eventually support trips to Mars.
CNN’s Randi Kaye reports from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston after the Artemis II astronauts return to Earth. (Source: CNN, NASA)
Savoy said Artemis contractors at Michoud are still hiring, even as Artemis III prepares to test commercial landers from private contractors, a development that could affect future contracts and jobs. He said no contractor has filed official notice of layoffs.
“It’s truly amazing how all those factors come together at the cape to launch a successful project,” Savoy said.
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