IAM Union members are playing a key role in NASA’s Artemis II mission, which launched on Apr. 2 and is sending four astronauts on a fly-by journey around the Moon to test lunar equipment. The mission marks the first time in more than five decades that humans are traveling toward the Moon.
The involvement of IAM Union members is significant because their work supports nearly every stage of Artemis II’s development and launch process. Their expertise helps ensure that the equipment and systems used in this historic mission meet strict safety and performance standards.
Much of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket hardware, including components from earlier Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, has been built or maintained by IAM Local 971 members in Florida, who originally constructed the RS-25D engines used at the bottom of SLS’s core stage. United Launch Alliance (ULA) workers represented by IAM Locals 610, 2061, 971, and 44 have also contributed to various aspects such as manufacturing RL10 engines for satellite launches, processing rocket stages arriving in Florida, transporting hardware to assembly buildings, stacking vehicles for launch preparation, maintaining ground support equipment like emergency egress systems for astronauts, and managing critical facility operations at space centers.
Additionally, IAM Local 2061 members working under contracts with companies like Amentum and Astrion handle tasks ranging from electrical system maintenance to hazardous material management at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. They also provide life support services for technicians handling toxic materials as well as health services through NASA’s NEMCON contract.
IAM members’ responsibilities extend further into laboratory support through LASSO II contracts—ensuring cleanliness of vehicle components—and supporting United States Space Force range operations across both Eastern and Western Ranges.
The contributions of these union workers reflect ongoing collaboration between skilled labor forces and major aerospace organizations as NASA continues its efforts to return humans to deep space exploration.
