Full media package below shows Cantwell viewing Artemis II components and leading-edge composites developed by WA aerospace companies; At Mukilteo’s Karman Space & Defense, Cantwell shown key systems that will enable Artemis II’s hatch release and parachute deployment mechanisms; At Redmond’s L3Harris, Cantwell shown thrusters that will be used to return astronauts safely to Earth
MUKILTEO & REDMOND, WA – On Monday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, toured two of the dozens of Washington state companies that are supplying NASA’s Artemis Missions. The first crewed Artemis mission, Artemis II, is scheduled to launch Wednesday at 3:24pm PST.
“We’re really proud that the state is playing such a big role in solving these space problems. Ultimately, Artemis is about returning to the moon and building a permanent moon base that can then be used for accelerating our travel to Mars. So [this is] a really, really big moment for the Pacific Northwest,” Sen. Cantwell said during a gathering with press and company leaders at L3Harris Aerojet Rocketdyne in Redmond.
Sen. Cantwell has been a champion for our nation’s space industry and its aerospace workforce, and currently oversees NASA and the space industry as Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee. Earlier this month, Sen. Cantwell led bipartisan, unanimous passage through the Commerce Committee of the NASA Authorization Act of 2026, which confirms support for the Artemis missions.
Fact Sheet: Washington’s Space Economy and Sen. Cantwell’s Support for the Artemis Program
Karman Space & Defense is a manufacturer of mission-critical subsystems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, and hypersonic systems. The company’s Mukilteo campus produces components for the Orion capsule that will fly on the Artemis II mission. This includes the capsule’s propellant-drive hatch release mechanisms, which allow for crew egress from the capsule in the event of emergency, and forward bay cover thrusters, which expose the capsule’s parachutes and allows them to deploy after reentry. Karman also has facilities in Arlington and Skagit. Altogether, more than 500 Karman employees work in Washington state. Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell saw two systems which will fly on the Artemis II launch, including mission-critical safety systems. Sen. Cantwell also discussed how Karman’s leading-edge composites are used in space programs.
L3Harris specializes in rocket propulsion, holding contracts to provide many of the thrusters used on Artemis. The company’s Redmond facility has manufactured spacecraft thrusters for NASA since 1968 and has supported famous missions such as Viking and Voyager. More than 400 employees work at the Redmond campus. Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell saw replicas of the 21 thrusters that will be used to return the four astronauts on Artemis II safely back to Earth.
Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the Artemis missions, designed to confirm that the SLS rocket and Orion space vehicle operate as designed with crew onboard in a deep space environment. The crew will spend 10 days in space and complete a lunar flyby, reaching the farthest point humans have ever traveled, before returning to Earth and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The first available launch window is Wednesday, April 1, at 3:25 PM PDT.
- All media assets from today’s tours are available HERE
- Video of the Karman (Mukilteo) tour is available HERE; photos HERE
- Video of the L3Harris (Redmond) presentation is available HERE; photos HERE
- A transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks at L3Harris is HERE
- A fact sheet on Washington’s space economy and Sen. Cantwell’s support for Artemis program is HERE.