NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility with a view of New Orleans in the background.

This artist's concept portrays the plan for the new Engineering Directorate office to be constructed at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The first of several new buildings to be constructed as replacements for older Center facilities, the 5-story, 139,000-square-foot building will house approximately 500 current Marshall employees that provide development and research engineering services for the Marshall Center. Ground breaking ceremonies took place on June 10, 2003 at the construction site, southwest of the Martin and Rideout Roads intersection on Redstone Arsenal. GSC Construction of Waynesboro, Georgia has been selected as the contractor for the facility, which is scheduled for a September 2004 completion.

Space Launch System Corestage-1 in production at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

MAF_20190802_Corestage-1

Aerial shots of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility

Aerial shots of MAF taken November 24, 2010

NASA officials were joined by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who toured the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and got a first-hand look at NASA’s new deep space vehicles being built at the facility.

Dr. Terry Teal, Facilities and Asset Management, Boeing, Portrait, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, LA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

MAF Portraits

NASA Meatball Reinstalled at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans reinstalled the iconic NASA meatball logo to the side of the 43-acre factory following a months-long project to replace the corrugated asbestos paneling original to the building’s construction on the outer façade of the facility. The new paneling is an insulated metal sandwich panel, which provides an increased insulation R-value. The new fastening system can withstand significant wind loads, adding greater protection against hurricanes, tornados, and other storm-related events common to the area; and is critical to help protect vital hardware for the Space Launch System rockets and the Orion Spacecrafts manufactured at Michoud for NASA’s Artemis missions, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the moon. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

NASA Meatball Reinstalled at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility

Crews at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans reinstall the iconic NASA meatball logo to the side of the 43-acre factory following a months-long project to replace the corrugated asbestos paneling original to the building’s construction on the outer façade of the facility. The new paneling is an insulated metal sandwich panel, which provides an increased insulation R-value. The new fastening system can withstand significant wind loads, adding greater protection against hurricanes, tornados, and other storm-related events common to the area; and is critical to help protect vital hardware for the Space Launch System rockets and the Orion Spacecrafts manufactured at Michoud for NASA’s Artemis missions, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the moon. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold, Portrait, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, LA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

MAF Portraits

Greg Ffolkes, Boeing, Portrait, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, LA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

MAF Portraits

James Randolph, Mechanical Engineering, Boeing, Portrait, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, LA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Partial Solar Eclipse in New Orleans

Under mostly overcast skies, the Moon passes in front of the Sun as a partial solar eclipse approaches 85% in New Orleans, home of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, on Monday, April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse tracked along a narrow strip of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent as well as parts of Europe and Central America. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Partial Solar Eclipse in New Orleans

Under mostly overcast skies, the Moon passes in front of the Sun as a partial solar eclipse approaches 85% in New Orleans, home of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, on Monday, April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse tracked along a narrow strip of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent as well as parts of Europe and Central America. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

August Full Moon Rises Over City of New Orleans

A supermoon rises over the Mississippi River and the Crescent City Aug. 1. The early August full Moon is the second largest in Earth’s skies for 2023. Later in August, a full Moon will appear in the skies for a second time. New Orleans is home to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, where stages for NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and structures for Orion spacecraft are produced for the Artemis missions.

Moon rises over New Orleans

A paddlewheeler makes its way up the Mississippi River as the moon rises over New Orleans on Sunday evening, August 22, 2021. The August Sturgeon Moon, which was also a rare Blue Moon, was full at 7:02 A.M. local time Sunday but the nearly full moon still put on a show when it rose over New Orleans later that evening. New Orleans is home to the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility where the core stage of the Space Launch System that will return people to the moon is being built. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

The Worm Moon rises over the city of New Orleans home of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility on the evening of March 13th, 2025.

Worm Moon March 2025

Partial Solar Eclipse in New Orleans

Civil Air Patrol cadets (L to R) Gabrielle Griffith, Ronald Ecklund, and Alongkorn Lafargue of the Alvin Callander Composite Squadron record weather data and track the impact of Solar Eclipses on VHF Radio Operations as they participate in the CAP Solar Eclipse Mission, a continent-wide project collecting solar eclipse data in partnership with NASA. The cadets spent over six hours taking measurements at their base of operations at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans on Monday, April 8, 2024. New Orleans is home to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. A total solar eclipse tracked along a narrow strip of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent as well as parts of Europe and Central America. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Partial Solar Eclipse in New Orleans

Civil Air Patrol cadets (L to R) Benjamin Errington, Caden Thomas, and Isabelle Cooper of the Alvin Callander Composite Squadron record weather data and track the impact of Solar Eclipses on VHF Radio Operations as they participate in the CAP Solar Eclipse Mission, a continent-wide project collecting solar eclipse data in partnership with NASA. The cadets spent over six hours taking measurements at their base of operations at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans on Monday, April 8, 2024. New Orleans is home to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. A total solar eclipse tracked along a narrow strip of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent as well as parts of Europe and Central America. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Partial Solar Eclipse in New Orleans

Civil Air Patrol cadets (L to R) Benjamin Errington, Caden Thomas, and Isabelle Cooper of the Alvin Callander Composite Squadron record weather data and track the impact of Solar Eclipses on VHF Radio Operations as they participate in the CAP Solar Eclipse Mission, a continent-wide project collecting solar eclipse data in partnership with NASA. The cadets spent over six hours taking measurements at their base of operations at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans on Monday, April 8, 2024. New Orleans is home to NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility. A total solar eclipse tracked along a narrow strip of the North American continent from Mexico’s Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada. A partial solar eclipse was visible across the entire North American continent as well as parts of Europe and Central America. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gives live television interviews prior to giving remarks for an Artemis day program, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Director Robert Champion gives opening remarks during an Artemis day event, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

NASA's SOFIA flying infrared observatory banks over the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility upon arrival at its new base of operations on Jan. 15, 2008.

NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory 747SP is shadowed by a NASA F/A-18 during a flyby at its new home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif.

NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory 747SP is shadowed by a NASA F-18 during a flyby at its new home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif

NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory touches down at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., as it arrives at its new home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility.

NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory touches down at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, CA, as it arrives at its new home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility

GSFC2024excite04

This is EXCITE’s moment of release. On August 31, 2024, the EXCITE (EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope) team conducted a test flight of their telescope from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This photo was taken moments after the telescope was released from the tractor vehicle (called Big Bill). Unseen above is the helium-filled scientific balloon that carried the telescope to the edge of space.

MAF Portraits

"I’m old enough that I watched Mercury and Apollo missions. That’s when a kid’s dream went from becoming a doctor when you grew up to becoming an astronaut. Everyone wanted to be an astronaut. Which, I realized, was way out of scope for me. I thought I’d never have anything to do with the aerospace program, but it was a cool thought. I ended up working on the Shuttle Program, and I was just wide-eyed the entire time. And I never had any desire to leave aerospace. It was always something new, always something different. I wanted to be involved, y’know? This is exploration. There’s no more land to explore. Instead of going across oceans, we’re going across space. And I can be a part of that. "My very first project was literally on a bar napkin. And I was given three dimensions: the top, the bottom and the length between. My manager gave me this and said, 'Here, make me something like this. Order whatever you need to do it.' And I thought, 'Well, this is going to be a great job!'" Dr. Terry Teal, Facilities and Asset Management, Boeing, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, LA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

At NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Orion's newly completed pressure vessel for the Artemis III mission is lifted out of the welding tool on Aug. 27, 2021. The pressure vessel is the primary structure for Orion's crew module, joined together using state-of-the-art welding by technicians from lead contractor Lockheed Martin.

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Lockheed Martin technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, complete the final weld on the pressure vessel of the Orion crew module for Artemis II on July 24, 2018, the first flight of Orion with astronauts which will carry them farther into the solar system than ever before.

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

From left to right, Mac Cook, Jeffrey Thompson, Chris Mart, Critical Lift and Move Team, Boeing, Portrait, Friday, June 28, 2019 at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, LA. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

MAF Portraits

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine gives remarks on the agency’s Artemis program, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Jody Singer gives opening remarks during an Artemis day event, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

NASA Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate Doug Loverro gives remarks on the agency’s Artemis program, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Through Artemis NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Artemis Day, Unveiling of Moon Mission Rocket Stage

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

MAF Portraits

Exploration Mission-2 crew module

Orion crew module pressure vessel lifted from welding tool

Michoud Team Celebrates Orion Splashdown

Employees at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans gather to watch the completion of NASA’s Artemis I mission with the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft on Dec. 11. The team cheered as the capsule safely returned to Earth following its 25.5-day mission, which brought it further into deep space than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown before. The Orion crew capsule as well as parts for the launch abort system and the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket were built at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. With the Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Michoud Team Celebrates Orion Splashdown

Employees at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans gather to watch the completion of NASA’s Artemis I mission with the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft on Dec. 11. The team cheered as the capsule safely returned to Earth following its 25.5-day mission, which brought it further into deep space than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown before. The Orion crew capsule as well as parts for the launch abort system and the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket were built at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. With the Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Michoud Team Celebrates Orion Splashdown

Employees at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans gather to watch the completion of NASA’s Artemis I mission with the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft on Dec. 11. The team cheered as the capsule safely returned to Earth following its 25.5-day mission, which brought it further into deep space than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown before. The Orion crew capsule as well as parts for the launch abort system and the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket were built at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. With the Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

Michoud Team Celebrates Orion Splashdown

Employees at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans gather to watch the completion of NASA’s Artemis I mission with the splashdown of the Orion spacecraft on Dec. 11. The team cheered as the capsule safely returned to Earth following its 25.5-day mission, which brought it further into deep space than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown before. The Orion crew capsule as well as parts for the launch abort system and the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket were built at the Michoud Assembly Facility. Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to the Moon. With the Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon. No other rocket is capable of carrying astronauts in Orion around the Moon in a single mission. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker

MAF Director Robert Champion stands in front of the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana – America’s Rocket Factory.

Robert H. Champion -Director NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos and videos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility.

NASA, Boeing Move Artemis IV Rocket Hardware to Barge

These photos show teams at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans preparing, moving, and loading the engine section of a future SLS (Space Launch System) rocket to NASA’s Pegasus barge Aug. 28. The hardware will form the bottom-most section of the SLS core stage that will power NASA’s Artemis IV mission, which will be the first mission to the Gateway space station in lunar orbit under the Artemis campaign. The barge will transport the spaceflight hardware to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida via the agency’s Pegasus barge. Once in Florida, the engine section will undergo final outfitting inside Kennedy’s Space Station Processing Facility. Image credit: NASA/Michael DeMocker