Orion is a manned exploratory craft designed to send humans beyond the moon and even Mars, according to the company. In its next mission, called Artemis II, astronauts will travel to the moon for the first time in 50 years.
Elmet was contracted to manufacture aerospace-grade tungsten heavy alloy ballast weights used for the heatshield in the Orion capsule. The seven different parts have weights ranging from 7 to 33 lbs made of tungsten metal powder, pressed and sintered on site.
This includes all pressing, sintering, and machining performed on-site in at Elmet’s plant in Lewiston, USA.
The company also plans to make molybdenum components for the Dragonfly craft set to launch in 2026 and land on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, in 2034.
