Imagineering Finishing Technologies Featured on Artemis Mission

NASA's Artemis 1 Space Launch System at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Photo Credit: Products Finishing

In the wake of NASA’s successful Artemis 1 launch on Wednesday, November 16, Imagineering Finishing Technologies (IFT, South Bend, Ind.) has announced its involvement with critical components of the Artemis 1, Space Launch System (SLS). 

IFT provides non-destructive testing, paint, and Chemical Conversion Coatings on rocket components, including the SLS fuel tanks and the Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the moon during subsequent Artemis missions.

“It is incredibly satisfying as a trusted metal finishing advisor and supplier to watch a live launch of a spacecraft knowing that Imagineering processed some of the components being carried into space,” says Jim Hammer, CEO of Imagineering Finishing Technologies.

IFT says it has been an integral part of NASA's next-generation space program over the last 10 years. In 2012, the company was contacted by a prime NASA contractor about processing one of the first components for the Orion spacecraft as a trusted metal finishing and testing advisor. In fact, IFT’s technical team, led by Dan Englebert, VP Technical Services, collaborated with Global Specialty Chemical and the contractor's engineers to develop the proper chemical process. 

According to Nick Hammer, IFT Facilities Manager, “With the successful prototyping processing of those initial components, we received a request from the contractor to establish a proprietary process to prototype an 18-foot dome cap for the fuel tank on the SLS rocket. We accepted the challenge, this time requiring us to make significant modifications to our Indianapolis plant layout and co-invest with them to build a permanent processing system to manage those parts.”

Since the first project, IFT has processed hundreds of large components for NASA's Space Launch System platform. In 2018, the company was recognized by NASA as an appreciated supplier for its support of the SLS.

The Artemis 1 mission is NASA's first test flight of its Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon this decade. On November 16, the Artemis 1 SLS launched an un-crewed Orion spacecraft on a 42-day flight around the moon. The mission will enable astronauts to orbit the moon for the first time since 1972.