Editing Michoud Assembly Facility (section)

==History==
[[Image:Apmisc-MSFC-6870792.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|left|alt=A large horizontal rocket with USA painted on the side inside of a manufacturing facility|First stages of [[Saturn V]] rockets being assembled at the Michoud factory in the 1960s]]

The facility was originally constructed in 1940 at the village of [[Michoud, New Orleans|Michoud, Louisiana]], by the Higgins-Tucker division of [[Higgins Industries]] under the direction of [[Andrew Higgins|Andrew Jackson Higgins]]. Construction was done on behalf of the United States government for the war production during [[World War II]] of plywood [[Curtiss-Wright C-76 Caravan|C-76 cargo planes]] and the [[Higgins Boat]] [[landing craft]]. The project cost $180 million ($2.8 billion in 2018).<ref>[https://mafspace.msfc.nasa.gov/history-maf NASA.gov]</ref> Production of the C-76 never commenced and instead produced 2 [[Curtiss C-46 Commando]] in 1943 and remaining order cancelled in 1944. The facility was referred to as '''Michoud (Factory) Airfield''' in the 1940s and briefly as a National Guard field in 1949, but became inactive by 1952.<ref name="Archived copy">{{cite web |url=https://www.airfieldsfreeman.com/LA/Airfields_LA_NewOrleans_E.htm |title=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Louisiana: Eastern New Orleans area |website=[[Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields]] |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910085351/http://www.airfields-freeman.com/LA/Airfields_LA_NewOrleans_E.html |archive-date=10 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> 
During the [[Korean War]] it made engines for [[M4 Sherman|Sherman]] and [[M46 Patton|Patton]] tanks, and boasted a {{convert|5500|foot|disp=flip|adj=on}} paved runway. It came under the management of NASA in 1961, and was used for the construction of the [[S-IC]] first stage of the [[Saturn V]] rockets and the [[S-IB]] first stage of the [[Saturn IB]] rockets built by [[Chrysler]] Corporation. It is home to the first stage of the last-constructed Saturn V, SA-515, built by The [[Boeing]] Company. The factory's ceiling height limitation - 12 meters, was unable to allow the construction of the bigger [[Saturn C-8]] direct Moon vehicle, and therefore was one of the major reasons why the smaller C-5 (later renamed Saturn V) was chosen instead of the originally planned Moon vehicle. The runway was slowly transformed into Saturn Boulevard in the 1960s with the middle becoming a heliport and decommissioned by the 1970s.<ref name="Archived copy"/>

The majority of the NASA factory's history was focused on construction and production of NASA's [[Space Shuttle external tank]] (ET). Beginning with the rollout of ET-1 on June 29, 1979, which flew on [[STS-1]], 136 tanks were produced throughout the Space Shuttle program, ending with the flight-ready tank ET-122, which flew on [[STS-134]], rolled out on September 20, 2010.<ref name="ET-122">{{cite web|last= Sloss|first=Philip|title=MAF speak of their pride in returning ET-122 to the Shuttle manifest|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/09/maf-pride-returning-et-122-shuttle-manifest/|website=[[NASASpaceFlight.com]]|date=22 September 2010}}</ref>  A single tank produced at the facility, ET-94, was not used in spaceflight and remained at Michoud as a [[test article (aerospace)|test article]].<ref name="etend" /><ref>Tank ET-122 ended up being the last, even though its sequence number was lower than the total number of tanks produced, because it had been damaged during Hurricane Katrina and required repairs prior to completion.</ref>

Modular parts for the [[International Space Station]] were [[Manufacturing of the International Space Station|fabricated]] at the facility in the mid-1990s until 2010.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130222145104/http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012/manufacturing_spinoffs.html NASA.gov]</ref>

The factory is now the location for the [[Space Launch System]] (SLS)'s core and [[Exploration Upper Stage|future second stage]] construction by Boeing.<ref name="NSF Mar42021">{{cite web | last=Sloss | first=Philip | title=NASA, Boeing looking to begin SLS Exploration Upper Stage manufacturing in 2021 | website=NASASpaceFlight.com | date=4 March 2021 | url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/03/nasa-boeing-begin-sls-eus-2021/ | access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="SN Dec72022">{{cite web | last=Foust | first=Jeff | title=NASA and Boeing change SLS core stage assembly process | website=SpaceNews | date=7 December 2022 | url=https://spacenews.com/nasa-and-boeing-change-sls-core-stage-assembly-process/ | access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="Mohon September 2023">{{cite web |last=Mohon|first=Lee | title=All Engines Added to NASA's Artemis II Moon Rocket Core Stage – Artemis | website=NASA Blogs | date=September 25, 2023 | url=https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2023/09/25/all-engines-added-to-nasas-artemis-ii-moon-rocket-core-stage/ | access-date=September 25, 2023}}</ref> SLS is the most powerful rocket in the history of spaceflight. It carries the [[Orion spacecraft]], whose crew module is also being built at Michoud, but by [[Lockheed Martin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/sls_reference_guide_2022_web.pdf|title=NASA SLS Web Reference Guide 2022|author=Marshall Space Flight Center|website=NASA|date=January 2022|access-date=7 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5304086.stm |date=August 31, 2006 |title=Lockheed to build Nasa 'Moonship' |work=BBC News |access-date=December 26, 2022 |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417181900/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5304086.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="LaNasaMichoud2021">{{Cite web|url=https://mafspace.msfc.nasa.gov/current-tenants/lockheed-martin/|title=Michoud Tenants: Lockheed Martin|last=LaNasa|first=Shannon|date=2021|access-date=December 26, 2022|website=[[Marshall Space Flight Center]]|publisher=NASA|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318002450/https://mafspace.msfc.nasa.gov/current-tenants/lockheed-martin/|url-status=live}}{{PD-notice}}</ref><ref name="WGNO2021">{{Cite web|last=Cristina|first=Victoria|url=https://wgno.com/news/louisiana/behind-the-scenes-at-nasa-michoud-assembly-of-the-orion-crew-modules/|date=April 26, 2021|title=Behind the scenes at NASA Michoud: Assembly of the Orion Crew Modules|website=WGNO|publisher=Nexstar Media Group|access-date=December 26, 2022|archive-date=November 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116144839/https://wgno.com/news/louisiana/behind-the-scenes-at-nasa-michoud-assembly-of-the-orion-crew-modules/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|title=Technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility completed the welding on Orion's pressure vessel which will carry @NASA_Astronauts to the Moon on #Artemis III.|user=NASA_Orion|author=NASA Orion public relations|date=September 10, 2021|number=1436382093404221453}}</ref> It has 50% more volume than the Apollo command capsule and will carry four to six astronauts.<ref>{{cite press release |title=NASA Names New Crew Exploration Vehicle Orion |publisher=NASA |date=August 22, 2006 |url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_06299_Orion_announced.html |access-date=December 26, 2022|archive-date=April 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408073534/https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_06299_Orion_announced.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The first launch occurred on November 16, 2022.<ref name="Reuters Nov162022">{{cite web | last=Joey Roulette | first=Steve Gorman | title=NASA's next-generation Artemis mission heads to moon on debut test flight | website=Reuters | date=16 November 2022 | url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/nasas-artemis-moon-rocket-begins-fueling-debut-launch-2022-11-15/ | access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="sfn-20220426">{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Stephen |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/04/26/nasas-moon-rocket-rolls-back-to-vehicle-assembly-building-for-repairs/ |title=NASA's moon rocket rolls back to Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs |work=Spaceflight Now |date=26 April 2022 |access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref>

=== Hurricane Katrina ===
[[File:NASA Michoud Katrina Flooding.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|A section of eastern New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) at right (green) is not flooded, while the surrounding neighborhoods (dark greenish brown) are extensively flooded.]]
The facility did not experience significant flooding during [[Hurricane Katrina]] due to a natural [[ridge]] that runs along its northwestern boundary, the [[levee]] that makes up the southern and eastern boundaries, and the work of the pump operators who stayed to protect the facility during the storm. Several buildings sustained wind and rainwater damage. All shifts were initially canceled up to September 26, 2005, potentially setting back future Shuttle flights. All the buildings and the shuttle hardware within survived the hurricane without grave damage, but the roof of the main manufacturing building was breached and debris damaged ET-122 stored inside; that tank was refurbished and later flew on the final flight of [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'']], [[STS-134]]. Thirty-eight NASA and Lockheed Martin employees stayed behind during Hurricane Katrina to operate the pumping systems, knowing that if not activated and sustained, the facility would have been destroyed. The workers pumped more than one billion gallons (3,800,000&nbsp;m<sup>3</sup>) of water out of the facility and probably were the reason that the rocket factory suffered very little damage. These employees were each awarded the [[NASA Exceptional Bravery Medal]], NASA's highest bravery award.<ref>{{Cite press release | title = NASA Administrator Honors Katrina Heroes | date = 2006-01-05 | url = http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/maf_rideout.html | publisher = NASA | access-date = 2010-01-15 | archive-date = 2010-01-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100114000357/http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/maf_rideout.html | url-status = dead }}</ref>

On September 16, 2005 [[NASA]] announced that the repairs were progressing faster than anticipated,<ref>{{cite press release | date = 2005-09-16 | publisher = NASA | title = NASA Planning to Resume Work at Michoud Assembly Facility | url = http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/sep/HQ_05268_Resume_Work_Michoud.html | access-date = 2005-10-03 | archive-date = 2006-01-15 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060115053858/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2005/sep/HQ_05268_Resume_Work_Michoud.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> and so they would continue to use Michoud for external tank work. On October 3, 2005, the facility officially reopened for essential personnel, though some key personnel had returned earlier. On October 31, 2005, the facility reopened to all personnel.

On February 7, 2017, an [[2017 New Orleans tornado|EF3]] tornado carved a path through [[New Orleans|Orleans Parish]], in which the factory is located. Two major buildings including the main manufacturing building were damaged, with multiple broken windows. 5 people were injured, and resulting repairs and other factors contributed to the delay of the [[Artemis 1#Launch|first SLS launch]] until late 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/michoud/workers-repair-roof-damage-to-nasa-s-rocket-factory |title=Workers Repair Roof Damage to NASA's Rocket Factory &#124; NASA |publisher=Nasa.gov |date=2017-02-07 |access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Dan Billow |url=http://www.wesh.com/article/nasa-rocket-factory-damaged-by-violent-winds/8694938 |title=NASA rocket factory damaged by violent winds |publisher=Wesh.com |date=2017-02-08 |access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Berger|first=Eric|date=2021-08-31|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/08/nasas-sls-rocket-will-not-fly-until-next-spring-or-more-likely-summer/|title=NASA's big rocket misses another deadline, now won't fly until 2022|website=Ars Technica|publisher=Condé Nast|access-date=2021-09-18}}</ref>