This Massachusetts-made tech powered the Artemis II mission to the moon
AP
By John L. Micek, MassLive
As the Artemis II astronauts go rocketing past the moon in a historic flyby on Monday, they’ll be relying on technology from Massachusetts to help them make the journey.
Speaking to business leaders in Boston on Monday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey gave a complete accounting of the Bay State-made tech as the crew boldly goes where Americans have not gone since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
“The laser communication system? You know who did that? MIT Lincoln Lab,” Democrat Healey told her audience at the New England Council’s breakfast meeting in the city’s Seaport neighborhood. “The entire communication system is Massachusetts-made.”
The Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System, as it’s formally known, uses laser beams to send high-resolution video and images of the lunar surface back to Earth, according to MIT.
The tech was developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in collaboration with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
“RF communications have served their purpose well. However, the RF spectrum is highly congested now, and RF does not scale well to longer distances across space. Laser communication [lasercom] is a solution that could solve this problem, and the laboratory is an expert in the field, which was really pioneered here,” Khatri said.
Cambridge-based Draper Laboratory also helped develop the flight software for the 10-day mission, according to The Boston Globe.
“Massachusetts-made,” Healey told business leaders in Boston on Monday morning.
It also wasn’t Draper’s first time slipping the surly bonds of Earth. The lab provided the guidance, navigation and control systems for the Apollo missions, according to its website.
“Draper is going to the Moon – again! We’re thrilled to be part of the NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration … working on all 5 aspects of the mission: NASA’s Space Launch System, NASA’s Orion Spacecraft, NASA’s Gateway Program, Commercial Lunar Payload Services and the Human Landing System,” the lab wrote.
The Worcester-based David Clark Company is behind the purpose-built orange spacesuits that will protect the crew in even the “worst case” scenarios, according to CBS News.
The “Orion Crew Survival System” suits are worn during launch, high-risk parts of the mission near the moon and upon re-entry to Earth. Shane Jacobs, the company’s chief technologist, told CBS News.
“It’s an entire life support and communication system within each of those suits,“ Healey told business leaders. ”Incredible feats of technology.”
Healey used her appearance before the council, a regional business group, to tout the state’s economic accomplishments. She slotted the Artemis mission among the state’s legacy of scientific research.
The Democrat is seeking a second term in the Corner Office this fall.
“So as we think about the past, just remember we have been on a trajectory of innovation from the very beginning that continues today,” Healey told the crowd.
