LSU is contributing to returning mankind on the moon after 50 years as the lead partner in the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, according to NCAM employees.
NCAM is a partnership between the state of Louisiana, LSU, the University of New Orleans and NASA formed to design new manufacturing technologies to construct NASA’s large crewed rockets, according to Bob Fudickar, executive director of NCAM.
The group is based out of the Michoud Assembly Center in New Orleans, where NASA builds all of its large crewed rockets.
“We needed some cutting edge advances in manufacturing with the potential for impact on the future spacecraft launch vehicles that we were planning at the time, but we always had an interest in doing bigger things, having impact on other industries, other government agencies, impact on the entire country,” said John Vickers, NASA’s NCAM manager.
While it was founded in 1999, NCAM really took off after 2005, Fudickar said. He said that after Hurricane Katrina, Michoud was left virtually unscathed, and the state began to invest heavily in the facility to both increase Louisiana’s role in space and to create new jobs.
Over the past 20 years, NCAM has received roughly $100 million from its partners, Vickers said.
The state purchased and owned the technologies under NCAM, but it was placed in the care of LSU for administration purposes. According to Fudickar, this was done because the state lacks the expertise to manage the use of that equipment.
NCAM is currently working on Artemis-2, which will be the second test of the Space Launch System that will send humans back to the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. The fourth iteration, Artemis-4, Fudikar said, will likely be the rocket that sends a mission to the lunar surface.
There are more technologies involved in the upcoming lunar rocket’s construction at Michoud, but he said NCAM plays a crucial role.
“It literally is the key equipment, key tools, that actually build the rockets,” Fudickar said.
In addition to the Artemis Rocket, set to launch later this year following several cancellations due to unstable weather conditions, NCAM has also been involved in the construction of many of NASA’s vehicles like the space shuttles, Vickers said.
NCAM has also pioneered several manufacturing technologies including friction stir welding, a process that creates stronger welds with virtually no defects. According to Vickers, NCAM is also developing new, stronger materials using interlocking fibers, as well as simulating technology using digital manufacturing methods and additive manufacturing, which builds a structure stronger by placing material layer by layer.
A $5 million digital replica of the Michoud facility is also in the works, Fudickar said. This will allow engineers to accurately design improvements to the facility.
The state wants to produce a Space Campus, Fudickar added, which will be devoted to researching technologies related to rocket manufacturing and education. There’s currently $40 million devoted to it.
“We’re always looking for upgrades on our equipment and modifications to the equipment,” he said.
According to Fudickar, more people should know about Louisiana’s role in space exploration.
He said Michoud has produced all of NASA’s large rockets, including those that originally brought humans to the moon.
“Building rockets is known across the country but building manned space rockets for NASA is only done at Michoud,” Fudickar said.
