Two companies that participated in the ARTEMIS II moon mission have been inducted into the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame.
Henkel Corp. of Rocky Hill and Simsbury-based Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense were honored at a recent ceremony at the state’s Manufacturing Innovation Forum.
Henkel supplied adhesives, sealants and functional coatings to ensure structural integrity, thermal management, and electronic reliability on the NASA mission.
Ensign-Bickford made explosive hardware, signal cords and separation systems for the modules of the ARTEMIS II spacecraft.
In all, more than 190 New England manufacturers were suppliers to the successful 10-day crewed lunar fly-by in April.
The Hall of Fame ceremony also honored a student-led project inspired by the moon mission.
Three seniors from Avon High School, Reese Montminy, Keshav Kamathia and Hannah Chiu, engineered a 3D-printed lunar sample container designed to help ARTEMIS astronauts to safely collect and transport moon rocks.
The team was a finalist in NASA’s 2026 HUNCH Design and Prototype Lunar Sample Collector competition.
First Robotics teams from Middletown, Windsor Locks and Suffield High Schools were also recognized, the first time that the Hall of Fame has honored excellence in that area.
The American Manufacturing Hall of Fame was formed in 2014. Since its inception the Hall of Fame has inducted 43 companies and 15 manufacturing innovators and has provided more than $300,000 for scholarship and educational programs.
