A Sacramento area company built a crucial jettison motor for NASA’s Artemis II, ensuring astronaut safety during the first crewed mission of the program.
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — A key component for NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission is being built in the Sacramento region.
Brent Urke, program manager for the Orion propulsion system at L3Harris Technologies, said the company produces rocket engines and propulsion systems used across NASA’s Artemis program, including the Space Launch System and Orion vehicle for Artemis.
Among those components is the “jettison motor,” built in Rancho Cordova, which plays a critical role during flight.
The motor is part of the Orion capsule’s launch abort system. It’s a safety feature designed to quickly separate astronauts from the rocket in an emergency and propel the crew capsule away from danger.
The jettison motor then removes the top portion of that system, allowing the capsule to reorient and safely descend into the ocean.
The Artemis II mission will mark the first crewed flight of NASA’s Artemis program, following the uncrewed Artemis I mission, which Urke said tested systems needed for human spaceflight.
For Urke, the project is both professional and personal. He said watching launches with his 9-year-old son — and planning to view the Artemis II launch together — adds another layer of meaning to the work.
“At the end of the day, the L3 Harris team is just excited to have so much on this vehicle, and we get to take mankind, humankind back to the moon and further than we’ve ever gone before. It’s really exciting to be part of this space exploration and continue to advance the science and eventually go on to Mars,” Urke said.
L3Harris’ role in NASA’s Artemis II, explained
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