Dear John,

It was with great pride that our Fort Worth community and all Americans watched the launch of the Artemis I mission, the first of three historic missions that will eventually return U.S. astronauts, including the first-ever woman, to the Moon.  

For some, it was the first time they have witnessed a moon mission.  For others, it is a triumphant reminder of American scientific ingenuity once heralded by President John. F. Kennedy when he delivered his famous “Race to Space” speech in 1962, declaring that “we choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

The Artemis I launch is a source of particular pride and interest to our TX-12 community due to the involvement of many local companies that are directly contributing to the success of the Artemis program.  Whether it is their contributions to the Space Launch System – the most powerful rocket ever built, to the Moon-bound Orion spacecraft, or even to the ground systems that are modernizing the spaceport at Kennedy Space Center, TX-12 companies are critical to the success of Artemis and are helping to enable America’s eventual return to the surface of the Moon. 

The purpose of the Artemis program is to enable future lunar development, including the establishment of a permanent base camp on the Moon, and ultimately the exploration of Mars.

Artemis I is an unmanned test flight which will travel within 60 miles of the Moon’s surface to conduct many different experiments, including measurements of gravity, surface temperature, and radiation levels. 

This crewless expedition is the first in a series of complex missions with the goal of demonstrating Orion’s capabilities so that Artemis II can move forward with U.S. astronauts on board. 

North Texas provides NASA with very important partners in the development and implementation of the Artemis program including Lockheed Martin, which is the critical contractor for the Orion spacecraft.

Along with Lockheed, the 12th District is home to many other companies contributing to the success of the mission, including Dysol, Inc., Mosites Rubber Company, Cadence Design Systems, Incora, Third Millennium Productions, and Allied Electronics & Automation.  Sey Tec, a woman-owned small business in the metroplex, directly supports the Orion program by providing aerospace-grade fasteners and hardware, otherwise known as the ever-important nuts and bolts used to hold the spacecraft together. 

Of these and so many other local companies, we in the 12th District are rightfully proud.  It is impressive but not surprising that our community has some of the world’s best and brightest minds!

This important 25-day mission, which includes six orbits around the Moon, will move America and the entire world closer to the next frontier, answering age-old questions surrounding humanity’s ability to survive beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.

North Texas has a rich aerospace history. The success of the Artemis I mission and the important information it will collect showcase Fort Worth’s contribution to yet another milestone that will change the future of the world and ensure that the American space program remains the best on Earth!