NASA chief visits Glendale to highlight Arizona tech powering moon mission
NASA chief visits AZ to see moon mission tech
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited Honeywell in Glendale to showcase Arizona technology built for returning astronauts to the moon. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen reports.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - As the nation races to return astronauts to the moon, technology built in Arizona is powering the mission.
What Happened:
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited Honeywell in Glendale on Sept. 22 to examine the work firsthand, as the United States aims to land on the lunar surface by 2028, before China's goal of 2030.
Honeywell has already been at the forefront of this space race by contributing technology to the Artemis II mission earlier this year. Now, they're creating technology to help astronauts breathe on the moon.
Arizona technology powers NASA space race to the moon
Arizona's technological production supports NASA's efforts to reach the moon ahead of China's 2030 target. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen has more on the technology powering the push.
What we know:
Isaacman said Honeywell is delivering critical guidance systems— the technology tells spacecraft where they are and where to go.
"We are very much in the midst of a second Space Race and this one will be a lot closer than the first ever was," he said. "Honeywell contributes a lot of the hardware and the avionics that go into that rocket, gave us the resources to build that moon base so that we can go back to the moon."
Local perspective:
Keeping Arizona at the forefront of aerospace innovation, Isaacman said it will allow NASA to explore even deeper into the solar system.
"Find tens of thousands of other planets hiding behind distant worlds," Isaacman said. "We have an awful lot going on, and obviously, Honeywell and a lot of the work coming out of Arizona plays a huge part of it."
What they're saying:
Honeywell President and CEO of Electronic Solutions Bob Buddecke says the company created 14 different components for the Artemis II mission.
"Provide the foundation, the underlying technology for us to differentiate what's capable in these missions for NASA," Buddecke said.
Dig deeper:
Beyond navigation, local teams are developing advanced life support systems to remove carbon dioxide and supply clean air to help astronauts survive long-term stays on the lunar surface. Local leaders say keeping Arizona at the forefront of aerospace secures vital high-tech jobs across the state.
"Putting mass on the surface of the moon, maybe someday building a small city on the lunar surface," Isaacman said.
The visit proves that as NASA shoots for the moon, the economic and technological payoff stays right here in Arizona.
"When NASA goes out and undertakes these near-impossible missions, the technology that we pioneer alongside industry to make those missions possible have immense benefits," he added.
Big picture view:
Representative Paul Gosar also met with Isaacman and Honeywell leaders. He said Arizona is also contributing to the Space Race by discovering minerals in our soil used in products for space missions.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator; and Honeywell.