Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | | MAY 15, 2023 29 FOCUS: SMALL BUSINESS A mobility test of Collins Aerospace's next generation spacesuit. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Space Bound CT manufacturers contribute tech to NASA, other cosmic missions By Matt Verrilli W estbrook-based The Lee Co. is one of many Connecticut businesses helping NASA reach its goal for future missions to the moon and beyond. Lee has been supporting NASA and its subcontractors since the space race began in the 1950s. Executive Vice President of Hydraulics Jeffrey Dickey said the company supplied parts that kept the oxygen supply of astronauts safe while they walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972. "The current NASA work gives us a great sense of pride to be helping us get back to the moon with Artemis," said Dickey. Numerous Connecticut companies have contributed materials to NASA, specifically the Artemis I mission, in which an unmanned Orion spacecraft made a 25-day journey around the moon last year. Connecticut manufacturers will also be instrumental in future Artemis missions that ultimately aim to put the first woman and next man on the moon. Collins Aerospace in Windsor Locks, like Lee, has a long history of supporting NASA on various projects. Materials from Collins were on Voyager 1 and 2, which ventured outside the solar system; the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, which landed on Mars; and the Huygens Probe that visited the surface of Titan, one of Saturn's moons. Back to the moon Gov. Ned Lamont during the recent American Manufacturing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Farm- ington spotlighted contributions made by 41 Connecticut companies to the Artemis I space mission. The unmanned spacecraft made its 25-day trip around the moon, then splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11. Lamont said his administration is committed to supporting growth of these manufacturers through work- force development programs that aim to help fill high-tech jobs needed by the industry. "Connecticut is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and we continue to lead the world in many industries," Lamont said. The Artemis I, which is part of the Orion series of spacecraft, launched from the Kennedy Space Center using the Space Launch System, a new powerful heavy-lift rocket. Orion is designed for deep-space exploration, carrying crews to space, providing emergency abort capa- bility, sustaining astronauts during their missions and allowing for safe re-entry from deep space. The Artemis I mission saw the unmanned craft travel 1.4 million miles: 280,000 miles from Earth and 40,000 miles beyond the far side of the moon. NASA reported that Artemis I stayed in space longer than any human spacecraft has without needing to dock at a space station. Future Artemis missions will bring astronauts to the moon so they can begin testing systems needed for lunar surface missions and explora- tion to further destinations in space such as Mars. Connecticut contributions The Lee Co. supplies plugs, check and pressure relief valves, screens and restrictors that are used in the life support, fluid control and other systems on the Orion capsule. Parts from Lee are also aboard the new Space Launch System. The RS-25 main engines and upper stage engines are fitted with plugs, check valves, relief valves, screens, restric- tors and more that aid with ignition, fluid control and actuation systems. Most of the materials are used throughout the systems. Screens, for instance, are important because they prevent contamination or debris from getting into critical areas and causing damage or life-reducing wear. These materials are provided from Lee both directly to NASA and to subcontractors that assemble systems for the spacecraft for the Artemis I mission and future Orion missions including Artemis II. Companies such as Oxford- based Kimtron and Branford-based Oxley Inc. have indirectly supplied NASA with materials through various subcontractors. Kevin Bergen, product engineer for Colonial Spring Co., said his Bristol-based business has been a supplier to Aerojet Rocketdyne for decades. Rocketdyne builds the RL10 engine for the upper stage of Artemis' rocket. Aerojet also makes the RS-25 engine for Artemis. Nicholas Eberhart, associate director of business development

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