EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The successful launch of NASA's Artemis II captivated the world, and there is a Western New York connection to the historic mission.
Moog Inc., a worldwide designer and manufacturer based in East Aurora, provided mission-critical technologies for the Artemis II launch.
"Extremely exciting, and it's a proud moment," said Jim Steffan, Program Director of Space Actuation Systems at Moog. "We're really on the vehicle from tip to tail,"
"We have hardware in the actuation, part of the core stage, we're in Orion, part of the environment. We've got avionics on the vehicle. Propulsion," Steffan said.
During the Artemis II launch sequence, Moog technologies played essential roles in safely guiding the Space Launch System rocket off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center using actuators designed and manufactured in East Aurora.
"Our actuators are located here at the bottom of the vehicle the core stage. We push on those nozzles, and that points the rocket in the right direction and gets it up into space," Steffan said.
WATCH: Moog provides critical technology for NASA's historic Artemis II moon launch
Following the successful launch, Moog Technologies will continue to play a role as astronauts travel in the Orion capsule around the moon before returning home.
"Until we actually land in the ocean, we are going to be continuing to watch to ensure that our hardware is performing," Steffan said.
The goal of NASA's Artemis mission is to eventually establish a sustained human presence on and around the moon. It is a mission Moog will continue to support for years to come.
"NASA is an extremely important customer for us, and we're excited to be a part of space exploration. You know, it's part of research and development, and it helps life on Earth," Steffan said.
"I mean, when you think about it, to put astronauts back on the moon, and then, you know, someday maybe off to Mars, as the future of space exploration, it's amazing for our generation," Steffan said.
Moog technology has played a role in space missions since the beginning of spaceflight. Steffan hopes the Artemis mission inspires a new generation of students interested in engineering and STEM.
