South Australian companies have played a key role in the successful NASA’s Artemis II mission, with local firms providing tracking support and critical components onboard the Orion capsule.
Safely completing its historic journey around the moon on Friday 10 April 2026, this mission has set a record for the farthest humans have ever travelled from Earth.
Adelaide‑based Southern Launch played a role in the history-making mission, tracking the Orion spacecraft from its Koonibba Test Range near Ceduna, contributing ground‑based data to NASA as the agency evaluated global tracking capabilities for future Moon and Mars missions.
Southern Launch passively tracked Orion throughout its journey, collecting high‑quality trajectory data without transmitting any signals or commands to the spacecraft.
The work built on a 2022 effort during Artemis I, when 10 Australian volunteers successfully tracked the uncrewed Orion capsule.
Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp said the company’s involvement underscored the strategic value of southern hemisphere ground infrastructure and strengthened Australia’s contribution to international space exploration.
“Artemis II represents a critical step in returning humans to the Moon and establishing a sustained presence beyond low Earth orbit,” Mr Damp said.
“Our participation reflects the growing role Australia can play in supporting deep space missions and the evolution of ground infrastructure required for cislunar operations.”
In addition to tracking support, Adelaide manufacturer Axiom Precision Manufacturing has supplied structural components for the Orion program under a contract with Lockheed Martin Space.
The company produced specialised exterior parts, including brackets, parachute pin retainers and fairings for external cameras on the spacecraft.
“We are extremely proud to have supplied parts for the Orion space program. This achievement highlights the strength of Australian manufacturing and its ability to compete on a global platform,” said Axiom General Manager Craig Maynard.
With a long history in advanced manufacturing, Axiom has previously produced precision‑machined components for local space companies, but its work with Lockheed Martin Space on the Orion program is the company’s most significant space contract to date.
Artemis II marked the first crewed flight of the Orion spacecraft and the first human mission to the Moon in more than five decades.
The mission carried astronauts on a lunar fly‑around to test life‑support systems and other technologies ahead of planned surface landings later this decade.
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Image: NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist onboard launches on the Artemis II mission, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
