High-density, high-strength, corrosion-resistance and the ability to withstand high tempereratures were key characteristics of parts for the crewed Artemis II mission.
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Maine manufacturers had a critical role in the historic Artemis II flight to the moon this week.
Elmet Technologies, a Lewiston-based manufacturer of high-performance tungsten and molybdenum components for the aerospace market, supplied high-performance materials and precision-machined parts for the flight.
Fiber Materials Inc., based in Biddeford and Woonsocket, R.I., produces reinforced thermal protection composites for products that must endure high temperatures.
Heat shield components
After successfully deploying components on the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022, Elmet’s key contributions to the crewed Artemis II mission included production of high-density tungsten heavy alloy materials at the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Lewiston; and production of high-strength, corrosion-resistant parts, engineered to withstand the extreme environments of space flight, at Elmet’s facility in Euclid, Ohio.
“Elmet Technologies remains committed to advancing the frontier of aerospace innovation,” said Derek Fox, Elmet’s CEO. “Our involvement in Artemis II underscores our role as a supplier for mission-critical applications where precision and material integrity are paramount.“
Elmet manufactured aerospace-grade tungsten heavy alloy ballast weights used for the heat shield in the crewed capsule.
Other NASA programs involving Elmet components include Dragonfly, a mission scheduled to launch in 2028 and land on Titan in 2034. Elmet molybdenum parts are expected to play a key role in processing samples.
Elmet is the only U.S.-owned and operated, vertically integrated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer, according to a news release. It has nearly 400 employees across three facilities, totaling over 500,000 square feet in Maine, Ohio and Michigan.
Propulsion components
FMI has been involved in the Artemis mission since 2007, providing critical propulsion components.
FMI has worked with NASA for decades and has been involved with some of that agency’s most prominent projects. That includes fabricated composite heat shield thermal protection systems for NASA’s Mars Science Lab, which landed the robotic rover Curiosity on Mars in 2012; and for NASA’s OSIRIS Rex mission, expected to return in 2023 with samples from a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu for analysis.
FMI, producing high-temperature materials and reinforced composites, employs approximately 400 people. It was acquired by Kernersville, N.C.,-based Tex-Tech Industries Inc. in 2025.
