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Rockwell Automation Helps Power NASA’s Artemis Missions

By NAM NewsroomNovember 5, 2026

Rockwell Automation played a crucial role in the first voyage of humans around the moon since 1972.

The background: NASA’s Artemis II mission, conducted this past April, laid the foundation for future landings and missions on the moon, the next big step in humanity’s exploration of space.

  • Thousands of manufacturers—including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and many more—contributed to this feat of engineering, ingenuity and American leadership in space.
  • This mission also marked the latest chapter in Rockwell’s longstanding partnership with NASA.

A trusted NASA partner: North American Aviation, later part of Rockwell International, served as NASA’s prime contractor for the Apollo Command and Service Module, which ferried astronauts to the moon and kept them safe.

  • Following the merger, Rockwell International continued to support NASA missions, engineering the Apollo heat shields and providing the navigation systems that guided Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon’s surface.
  • Rockwell also had a leading role in the Space Shuttle program, building the first shuttle orbiter and the fleet of shuttles that made this decades-long program possible.
  • In 1985, Rockwell acquired Allen-Bradley, adding another piece of NASA history to its collection: Allen-Bradley components transmitted the earliest American signals from space from Explorer 1, the very first U.S. satellite.

Rockwell and Artemis: “Rockwell Automation plays a strategic role supporting NASA and its prime contractors, including Boeing, SpaceX, Blue Origin and Bechtel. Our technology powers manufacturing systems for spacecraft and the ground control systems that prepare rockets for launch,” the company noted.

  • Rockwell banners, “signed by employees across Milwaukee, Cleveland, Florida, and Cambridge,” are on proud display at the Kennedy Space Center, festooning the exterior of the Vehicle Assembly Building where Artemis’ crew and support teams can see them.

Looking ahead: “As NASA builds Mobile Launcher 2 for future Artemis missions and prepares even larger rockets, Rockwell’s technology will again be integral to the launch infrastructure. Artemis III, Artemis IV and beyond will rely on the same blend of technical expertise, collaboration and bold thinking that has defined Rockwell’s history,” the company said.

The last word: “Rockwell is proud to be one of the many manufacturers sending human beings back to the moon,” said Rockwell Chairman and CEO and NAM Board Chair Blake Moret.

  • “Rockwell has made a commitment to expand human possibility, and there is no better illustration of that than the Artemis program. Together, NASA, Rockwell and many other manufacturers are building on their histories of innovation and scientific exploration, taking another step forward for humanity’s future.”