NASA’s Artemis II rocket and crew are in final preparations for a historic moon mission, set to launch Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.A Sacramento company is contributing to that mission. Tecma creates precision parts for the aerospace and defense industries. Sonia Susac, president and owner of Tecma, will be in Florida to watch the launch.”The fact that there are four human beings on there going back to the moon after 50 years, I mean, that’s just incredible,” Susac said.Susac said Tecma produced thousands of parts for the Space Launch System. The parts are all over the rocket, from the Orion capsule on top, to the engines, to the ignition area, according to Susac.”To know that while the astronauts are up in space and they are maneuvering around in the Orion capsule and we have something to do with those orbital maneuvering systems and engines is also extremely exciting,” Susac said.The company’s involvement in the Artemis program is a storied history that began in the Apollo era, when Susac’s father founded Tecma in 1957.”Growing up as a little girl, I always looked at the moon. I thought, ‘That is so cool. My dad made parts and they’re on the moon right now,'” Susac said. During the Apollo missions, when it was time for astronauts to leave the lunar surface, Tecma products were used to cut the communication cords between the Lunar Module’s descent and ascent stages. It allowed the “feet” of the lander to remain on the moon while the capsule holding the astronauts could ascend and return safely to Earth.The launch of Artemis II, coming on the day of Tecma’s 69th anniversary, is a source of pride for Susac, her small company and her family.”It’s all walks of life came together with one mission and we’re all watching it together. The entire United States,” she said. “I get emotional when I think about it. It’s all happening together. We’re like all cheering for the same thing. And it is about time we have something like that.”As of Tuesday evening, NASA said all systems were a go for launch.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
NASA’s Artemis II rocket and crew are in final preparations for a historic moon mission, set to launch Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
A Sacramento company is contributing to that mission. Tecma creates precision parts for the aerospace and defense industries.
Sonia Susac, president and owner of Tecma, will be in Florida to watch the launch.
“The fact that there are four human beings on there going back to the moon after 50 years, I mean, that’s just incredible,” Susac said.
Susac said Tecma produced thousands of parts for the Space Launch System. The parts are all over the rocket, from the Orion capsule on top, to the engines, to the ignition area, according to Susac.
“To know that while the astronauts are up in space and they are maneuvering around in the Orion capsule and we have something to do with those orbital maneuvering systems and engines is also extremely exciting,” Susac said.
The company’s involvement in the Artemis program is a storied history that began in the Apollo era, when Susac’s father founded Tecma in 1957.
“Growing up as a little girl, I always looked at the moon. I thought, ‘That is so cool. My dad made parts and they’re on the moon right now,'” Susac said.
During the Apollo missions, when it was time for astronauts to leave the lunar surface, Tecma products were used to cut the communication cords between the Lunar Module’s descent and ascent stages. It allowed the “feet” of the lander to remain on the moon while the capsule holding the astronauts could ascend and return safely to Earth.
The launch of Artemis II, coming on the day of Tecma’s 69th anniversary, is a source of pride for Susac, her small company and her family.
“It’s all walks of life came together with one mission and we’re all watching it together. The entire United States,” she said. “I get emotional when I think about it. It’s all happening together. We’re like all cheering for the same thing. And it is about time we have something like that.”
As of Tuesday evening, NASA said all systems were a go for launch.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel