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Artemis poised to usher in new era in space exploration

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12min 20sec
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NASA Photo
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lockheed Martin Space, based in Colorado, is one of the major aerospace contractors for NASA’s Artemis missions. Hundreds of engineers worked out of the company’s facilities around Denver on the Orion spacecraft.

After months of delays, NASA will try again this week to return to the moon. The Artemis mission is just a start. Eventually, the goal is to build a lunar waystation to Mars. Colorado’s Lockheed Martin built the Orion spacecraft that’s at the heart of all this. Engineering manager Heather McKay has worked on the project for more than a decade. We spoke with her in August.