Team Members At EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2016 To Highlight Journey To Mars Exhibits And Forums During The Event

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion industry team are at EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2016 in Wisconsin this week to recognize local supplier companies and showcase the technologies that will launch humans into deep space.

“The EAA Airventure audience is uniquely informed and excited to hear the latest information on the journey to Mars,” said Charlie Precourt, vice president and general manager for Orbital ATK’s Propulsion Systems Division, and four-time space shuttle astronaut. “The first flight of SLS and Orion is just around the corner, and flight hardware is in its final stages of test and production. We have our tremendous supplier base to thank for that, including supplier companies right here in Wisconsin.”
 
Four major industry players are building the SLS and Orion spacecraft for NASA’s crewed exploration missions that will travel beyond the moon and into deep space. Boeing is designing, developing, producing and testing the rocket’s core and upper stages, as well as the avionics. Orbital ATK provides the five-segment solid rocket boosters that are the largest ever built for flight, together producing 7.2 million pounds of maximum thrust, boosting the SLS rocket off of the launch pad, and Aerojet Rocketdyne provides the reliable, flight-proven RS-25 and RL10 engines for the core and upper stage that carry SLS and Orion into orbit and on to deep space. Lockheed Martin is designing and building the Orion spacecraft, which will fly on top of SLS and transport astronauts farther into space than ever before.
 
Supporting the four prime contractors are numerous suppliers in 48 states across the United States. Current suppliers in Wisconsin include ATI Metals (Ladish Company) in Cudahy; Marine Travelift in Sturgeon Bay; Amorim Cork Composites in Trevor; and Hentzen Coatings in Milwaukee.
 
“While we’re spending this week in Wisconsin during EAA Airventure, we want to give a shout out to our suppliers in this state,” said Mark Gann, Boeing supply chain leader for SLS. “As prime contractors, we ultimately rely on our supplier base to come through in a big way. Thanks to all of our suppliers for their great work – particularly, this week, those in Wisconsin.”
 
NASA’s deep space team members will have Journey to Mars displays and information, forums and special guests, to include current astronaut Mike Hopkins on Friday, July 29. Forums will include former astronauts sharing their insights about working in space, how to become an astronaut and careers in space exploration. Special appearances for WomenVenture are also on the agenda. Visitors can also see, and touch, one of only six touchable moon rocks at the NASA display.

(Source: NASA news release)

FMI: www.nasa.gov