KEY TAKEAWAYS: 90% of Artemis II rocket built at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Public displays, including Superdome lighting and Crescent City Connection projections, celebrate local aerospace workforce. Facility supports decades of high-skill jobs and regional economic growth. Boe ing and state officials emphasize Michoud’s critical role in advanced manufacturing and Artemis mission success.     New Orleans marked the launch of NASA‘s Artemis II mission Wednesday by highlighting the city’s decades-long role in America’s space program, with public displays celebrating the workforce and industry behind the mission. NASA is preparing to launch four astronauts Wednesday evening on a 10-day mission around the moon, the most ambitious U.S. spaceflight in decades and a key step toward returning humans to the lunar surface before China’s first crewed landing. Mission managers on Monday cleared the Artemis II mission’s 322-foot (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket, carrying the Orion crew capsule, for liftoff as early as 5:24 p.m. Central Standard Time. The launch will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, just one launch pad away from where the final U.S. Apollo astronauts headed to the moon more than 50 years ago. Nearly 90% of the Space Launch System rocket powering Artemis II was manufactured at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, a cornerstone of the region’s aerospace industry for more than 60 years. The facility has supported programs from Apollo to the Space Shuttle and now Artemis, employing thousands of local workers and generating billions in economic impact. The crew of Artemis II (mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman) arrive at Kennedy Space Center, FL March 27, 2026 in advance of their launch on a mission to fly around the moon and back. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK “Artemis is not a one-off moment for this region, it is the continuation of a deep and durable economic engine,” said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of GNO Inc. He noted the mission underscores the city’s ongoing contribution to advanced manufacturing and high-skill jobs in Southeast Louisiana. NASA Michoud Director Hansel Gill said the 829-acre facility near downtown New Orleans has a national economic impact exceeding $507 million. “We are grateful for this opportunity to help strengthen our ties with the community,” Gill said. To coincide with the launch, the city featured special lighting on the Caesars Superdome with a custom Artemis-themed projection, coordinated lighting on the Crescent City Connection, and digital billboards highlighting the local workforce and aerospace legacy. The displays were created in collaboration with GNO, Inc., the Downtown Development District, the National WWII Museum, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, and other partners. Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Dr. Jenny Mains emphasized the importance of the Michoud facility in sustaining high-quality jobs and a regional aerospace ecosystem. “Through the work done at the Michoud Assembly Facility, our city continues to support advanced manufacturing and long-term economic growth for New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana,” she said. Boeing, a prime contractor on the Space Launch System, highlighted the critical role of Michoud in producing flight-ready hardware. “Facilities like Michoud are irreplaceable to missions of this complexity,” said Chrystal Morgan, Boeing’s director of state and local government relations. State officials also noted the broader economic benefits of NASA’s presence in Louisiana. Secretary of Economic Development Susan B. Bourgeois said the Artemis II mission reflects decades of workforce development, supplier networks, and manufacturing capacity that position the state for continued aerospace growth. As Artemis II prepared for lift-off, New Orleans showcased not just a historic space mission but its own enduring role in America’s aerospace legacy, from Apollo to today’s Artemis program. ...read more read less