If you’ve ever heard someone say that the road to the moon runs through Ohio, they’re not exaggerating.
As NASA prepares for the historic Artemis II mission, which will send astronauts around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, a huge part of that journey is being powered by work happening right here in the Buckeye State.
At the heart of it all is NASA Glenn Research Center, where engineers have been helping shape the future of space travel for decades. And now, they’re playing a major role in getting humans back to deep space.
Artemis II is currently gearing up for launch at Kennedy Space Center, with a planned window in early March. The mission will carry a four-person crew on a journey around the moon and back to Earth, marking the first time astronauts have traveled beyond low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17.
It’s a big moment for NASA, and an even bigger one for the engineers in Ohio who have been working behind the scenes to make sure everything goes according to plan.
The Artemis II mission relies on two major pieces of hardware: the massive Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts.
While the rocket gets a lot of the attention, Orion is where the real magic happens.
It’s made up of a crew capsule, where astronauts live and work, and a service module that provides power, propulsion, air, and water. And that’s where Ohio comes in.
Engineers at NASA Glenn have been deeply involved in developing and testing both parts of the spacecraft, working closely with partners like the European Space Agency to make sure everything is mission-ready.
Before any spacecraft heads to space, it has to survive some pretty intense conditions here on Earth.
At the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, engineers put the Orion hardware through a gauntlet of tests designed to mimic the extreme environment of space.
We’re talking massive vibration tests that simulate liftoff, deafening acoustic testing, and exposure to extreme temperatures and vacuum conditions. It’s the kind of place where spacecraft are pushed to their limits long before they ever leave the ground.
In fact, the Orion capsule itself made a memorable stop in Ohio back in 2019, when it was flown into Mansfield aboard NASA’s oversized Super Guppy aircraft. Crowds lined the streets just to catch a glimpse.
With Artemis I successfully completing an uncrewed trip around the moon in 2022, Artemis II raises the stakes in a big way. This time, there are people on board.
That means safety is everything.
Ohio engineers have spent years testing how the spacecraft responds to everything from lightning strikes to emergency abort scenarios. If something goes wrong during launch, a powerful system can pull the crew capsule away from the rocket in seconds. That kind of system has to work perfectly every time.
Engineers also analyze real mission data and support operations during launch and beyond, helping NASA make critical decisions in real time as the spacecraft begins its journey. When Artemis II lifts off, it’ll be a moment that reflects decades of work from engineers right here in Ohio.
From Cleveland to Sandusky, teams have been quietly building, testing, and refining the technology that will carry astronauts safely around the moon and back home again.
So yeah, the road to the moon might start in Florida. But a big part of it still runs straight through Ohio. You can watch the launch of the Artemis 2 mission right here.
