The “space race” is heating up, with growing debate over how the U.S. should build and maintain a durable advantage in space. Within this conversation, it is essential to recognize a major asset located in New Orleans East: the Michoud Assembly Facility.
Michoud is one of the country’s most sophisticated manufacturing campuses. It is where the Saturn V rockets were built, where the Space Shuttle External Tank was produced and where NASA and its partners assemble key components of the Space Launch System, the backbone of America’s next era of space exploration. Congress reaffirmed this work through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, securing missions through Artemis V and retaining the SLS as a pillar of America’s return to the Moon and beyond.
For greater New Orleans, the “space stakes” couldn’t be higher. Michoud supports thousands of jobs, generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and anchors an ecosystem in aerospace, composites and advanced manufacturing. Continued investment at Michoud diversifies our economy, creates high-skill careers for residents and strengthens the nation’s industrial base — when increasing domestic production is vital…