MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

Michoud Assembly Facility

YEAR IN REVIEW 2023

Marshall Star
From the Directors

Joseph Pelfrey, Director

Marshall Space Flight Center

Greetings Michoud,

The past year was truly an impressive year for NASA and the 

agency’s Michoud Assembly Facility. Throughout 2023, the 

Michoud team never missed a beat, expanding community 

outreach and employee engagement, all while continuing to meet 

essential milestones for the Artemis missions. Michoud’s workforce 

is truly resilient, and I applaud the spectacular work that has 

continued, even through challenges like a global pandemic, site 

construction, and hurricanes these past few years. Your dedication 

ensured NASA was able to successfully launch Artemis I. The 

agency’s gratitude was visibly echoed during visits from NASA 

Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and Artemis I Launch Director 

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson. 

I am proud of the teams at Michoud that fully integrated all five 

major structures of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core 

stage for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission that will send 

four astronauts around the Moon and return them home, as well 

as the work being implemented for the completion and delivery of 

the Orion capsules and SLS core stages for Artemis II-IV. Your daily 

commitment to NASA’s mission and values are imperative to the 

safety of the astronauts who will fly on upcoming Artemis missions.

I am honored to work alongside each of you and am committed 

to leading the entire Marshall and Michoud team through our next 

chapter, guided by our shared values of safety, integrity, teamwork, 

excellence, and inclusion.

Continue in excellence,

Joseph

Hansel Gill, Acting Director

Michoud Assembly Facility

Michoud Team,

Through your hard work and dedication to the Artemis mission, 

core stage II is almost finished and ready to ship! Each of you are 

“making history.” Your fingerprints are all over the rocket. Like 

many directors who have served before me, it is an honor and 

privilege to lead an amazing, world-class workforce at NASA’s 

Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. 

Reflecting on 2023, it is no surprise the year was a tremendous 

success, given the dedication and resiliency of the men and 

women at Michoud. With the SLS (Space Launch System) core 

stage for Artemis II finished with final integration testing, the focus 

will soon turn to a rollout event and facility-wide celebration. 

Meanwhile, across the 43-acre factory, Michoud is at the pinnacle 

of production with SLS core stages III, IV, V, and Orion V crew 

module. In February, we cut the ribbon on the EUS (exploration 

upper stage) production area which has yielded early production 

of EUS hardware. Meanwhile, factory roof replacement efforts are 

underway, Building 110 received new siding, LED lighting upgrades 

were finalized, and new Enhanced Use Leasing developments will 

support MAF’s continuity.

Throughout the year, we hosted Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy 

for a workforce development kick-off session; legislators and 

stakeholders to highlight SLS and Orion space flight hardware; 

and a wealth of STEM students for tours of our “Rocket Factory.” 

Michoud also filled the year with several on-site events and 

milestones to include the historical the Artemis I anniversary event, 

our second Michoud Family Day since returning from COVID, and a 

Michoud veteran outreach opportunity with The National World War 

II Museum to host two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients for 

a unique Valor Outreach event. The opportunity to host American 

heroes who risked their lives to save others was truly an honor and 

privilege, one that we will never forget.

I’m proud to share we were selected as one of the manufacturing 

facilities for the Human Landing System. It’s clear that Michoud 

continues to help lead our way back to space.

Again, I thank all the Michoud team members for supporting the 

Artemis program and other NASA missions at large. You are the 

heart and soul of our facility.

Keep up of the good work,

Hansel On the cover: NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New 

Orleans installed the third and fourth RS-25 engines onto the 

SLS core stage for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) 

rocket that will help power NASA’s first crewed Artemis 

mission to the Moon. Michoud is managed by NASA’s 

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Michoud Holds Ribbon-Cutting for 

Exploration Upper Stage Gray Box

NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free and SLS (Space 

Launch System) Program Manager John Honeycutt were 

joined by several elected officials and business leaders Feb. 

13, 2023, to cut the ribbon at the exploration upper stage 

Gray Box ribbon-cutting ceremony at NASA’s Michoud 

Assembly Facility. The “gray box” area is the production 

and processing area for the exploration upper stage that will 

provide in-space propulsion for the Block 1B configuration 

of future SLS rockets, beginning with Artemis IV. With its 

four RL10 engines and larger fuel tanks, EUS will replace the 

Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) to send astronauts 

and large payloads to the Moon on a single mission.

Teams at Michoud fully integrated all five major structures of the 

SLS rocket’s core stage for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis 

mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and 

return them home. Technicians joined the engine section to the 

rest of the rocket stage March 17, 2023. Located at the bottom 

of the 212-foot-tall SLS core stage, the engine section is the 

most complex and intricate part of the rocket stage, helping to 

power Artemis missions to the Moon. The SLS core stage for 

Artemis II is built, outfitted, and assembled at Michoud.

NASA Connects All Major Structures of Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage

NASA Deputy Administrator Melroy 

Views Artemis II Core Stage at Michoud

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy visited Michoud in 

March 2023, viewing the Artemis II core stage, and speaking 

during the launch of a New Orleans workforce development 

program. The Greater New Orleans Regional Advanced 

Manufacturing Partnership aims to build a pipeline for 

future aerospace workers. Her visit – and the launch of the 

development program – came as NASA and Boeing, the 

SLS core stage lead contractor, continue to make progress 

building core stages for future SLS rockets at Michoud.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Visits 

Michoud, Thanks Workforce for 

Artemis I Success

Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson 

spoke to the Boeing workforce during her visit to Michoud 

June 30, 2023. Blackwell-Thompson thanked the team for 

their contribution to the Artemis I mission and emphasized 

the importance of what they do every day. Boeing employees watched Artemis I launch footage as BlackwellThompson recapped launch day. Blackwell-Thompson also 

spoke about her personal career path, which led to being 

NASA’s first female launch director. She saw the SLS core 

stage for Artemis II during a tour of the factory, and SLS 

core stages for Artemis III-V in various stages of production 

at Michoud.

Just Super: Michoud Photographer Captures ‘Blue Moon’ 

Above New Orleans Bridge

Sometimes getting the job done requires extra time and effort for Michoud team members. Such was the case Aug. 30, 2023, 

for Michael DeMocker, a photographer for Michoud. DeMocker took the spectacular image of the super blue moon – which 

had an orange hue – rising over the Crescent City Connection Bridge in New Orleans. “It was my last chance to photograph 

a blue supermoon until 2037, so I didn’t want to waste my shot,” DeMocker said. “I did a great deal of planning on apps 

and search engines to find an elevated spot where the rising moon would line up with a New Orleans landmark.” Once at his 

location, DeMocker wound up climbing on top of his car to frame the perfect shot. The result was, well, super.
Michoud Serves as Vital Resource 

for NASA’s STEM Engagement

NASA plays a crucial part in engaging the nation’s 

developing workforce to enter science, technology, 

engineering, and math occupations of today, and the STEM 

jobs of the future. At the forefront of the agency’s STEM 

Engagement with students and educators is Michoud. 

Through Michoud’s partnerships with local schools in 

conjunction with the Southeast Region Office of STEM 

Engagement at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, students 

complete projects that focus on SLS and Orion spacecraft 

production and learn about a variety of technical skills 

needed at Michoud, with a concentration on mechanical and 

electrical skills. During a 2023 visit to Michoud, students 

from Live Oak High School in Denham Springs, Louisiana, 

had an opportunity to experience the rocket factory.

Orion, Lockheed Martin Honor Michoud 

Contributions to Artemis I Success

Orion program managers joined Lockheed Martin and 

leadership at Michoud Aug. 2, 2023, to celebrate the 

individual and team accomplishments that contributed to 

the successful Artemis I mission. Following a welcome by 

then Michoud Director Lionel “Lonnie” Dutreix, Orion Crew 

and Service Module Office Manager Tim Otterson led off 

the event recalling his last visit to Michoud when the team 

was nearing completion of the Orion spacecraft elements 

for Artemis I. Otterson expressed his gratitude to the team 

for their continued work on the program, including the 

completion and delivery of Orion capsules for Artemis II – IV 

to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

First RS-25 Engine Installed to NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket

On Sept. 11, 2023, technicians at Michoud started installing the first of four RS-25 engines onto the core stage of NASA’s 

SLS rocket that will help power NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission to the Moon. The work, which was completed in October, 

followed the joining of all five major structures that make up the SLS core stage earlier in 2023. NASA, lead RS-25 engines 

contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company, and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, continued 

integrating the remaining engines into the stage and installing the propulsion and electrical systems within the structure.
Ceremony Marks Opening of NASA Educational Display at New Orleans Airport

Representatives from Michoud joined elected officials and other community leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking 

the opening of a NASA educational display Sept. 26, 2023, at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans. The 

exhibit is a collaboration between NASA, the city of New Orleans, and regional economic development organizations to 

educate visitors on the role Michoud has played in the production of manned spacecraft and Michoud’s impact on economic 

development for the region. The exhibit is located near the airport’s baggage claim on the first floor. 

Take 5 with Hansel Gill, Keith Savoy

Two Michoud leaders shared their insights on leadership, 

inspiration, mentorship, and more, as part the Take 5 profile 

series, which features a leader each month from Marshall 

or Michoud. The Marshall Star interviewed Acting Director 

Hansel Gill (pictured right), who was deputy director at the 

time, and Chief Operating Officer Keith Savoy (pictured left).
Michoud Celebrates Family Day 2023 

with Treats and No Tricks

For the second consecutive year, Michoud hosted Family 

Day, a day when team members can invite their families 

to visit “America’s Rocket Factory.” Family Day occurred 

the weekend before Halloween. Team members and their 

families had the opportunity to view the latest stages 

of production in the 43-acre factory, including the fully 

assembled core stage for the SLS rocket for NASA’s 

Artemis II mission, and were treated to trunk-or-treat as 

they exited the factory. Michoud passed out candy and 

Moon Pies to trick-or-treaters of all ages. NASA astronaut 

Stan Love and astronaut candidate Jack Hathaway took 

pictures with families in front of the SLS core stage for 

Artemis II in the Final Assembly area.

National WWII Museum Brings Valor Outreach Event to Michoud Veterans

Veterans from the multi-tenant workforce at Michoud attended a panel discussion featuring two Congressional Medal 

of Honor recipients Nov. 1, 2023, in Michoud’s Hero’s Way— a hall lined with the mission patches for every NASA 

mission, along with crew photos and mission details. When the National WWII Museum in New Orleans learned they 

would be hosting the week-long Medal of Honor Convention in 2023, they began exploring ideas for local Valor Outreach 

opportunities. Michoud began as an aircraft factory during the 1940’s, where teams produced C-76 and C-46 cargo planes 

during WWII. Michoud has since transformed itself multiple times over the years to support not just the space program but 

multiple government agencies, making it an ideal location for the Nov. 1 event.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center

Huntsville, AL 35812

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall

www.nasa.gov MSFC-03-2024-G-666243