Artemis 1 Parts Built by Harbor Springs Company

Artemis 1 finally took off for the moon on Wednesday, but the big launch wouldn’t be possible without a company in Northern Michigan.

“This is a historic moment for mankind, you know, we’re going back to the moon.”

The unmanned mission is set for the moon, with the goal of someday, landing on Mars.

NASA representatives were recently in Harbor Springs, thanking the crew at Moeller Aerospace for their dedication to the mission.

“I never expected to be a part of something as monumental as this,” said Ian Haven, the Insides Sales Manager for Moeller Aerospace.

Their big task was to build small parts that could help make global history.

“We manufacture turbine blades, they power the rocket into space, you know, to the moon and then initially after that, we will be watching very closely to travel to mars and then who know what else,” said Stewart Cameron, the Plant manager at Moeller Aerospace.

It’s a job that out of anywhere in the world, can only be done in Harbor Springs.

The team at Moeller Aerospace has been working on the project for four years.

“Definitely some challenges that we had to overcome. So definitely a big shout out to the team there for for helping us get across those hurdles. The methods that we chose and had to employ to make these components was a challenge, to say the least,” said Caleb Avrill, the Engineering Manager for Moeller Aerospace.

A challenge not too big for northern Michigan to overcome.

“To think that a company in Michigan, not only Michigan, but northern Michigan, could be part of something so pivotal in not the the race to space, is something I never considered possible,” said Haven.

After two postponements, due to a fuel leak and planet alignment, the next launch window is Saturday, September 3rd.

“I mean there’s billions of dollars that go into a lunch like this, so better safe than sorry,” said Avrill.

Just like every other company, Moeller Aerospace is looking for the next generation of employees, if you have an interest in building parts used for rockets, check out their .