Smiths supports historic Artemis II space mission

Smiths, a leading industrial engineering company, is proud to support NASA’s Artemis II space mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2026. The mission will take four astronauts around the Moon in the Orion spacecraft and will be the first crewed mission in NASA's plan to establish a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration. 

Smiths is providing products from across several parts of its business to support the mission, which builds on the success of the uncrewed Artemis I in 2022 and will demonstrate a broad range of capabilities needed on deep space missions. 

Smiths is providing filtration sieves for the spacecraft’s Propellant Management Devices (PMDs) through its John Crane business. PMDs are crucial mechanisms in spacecraft that create effective thrust in low gravity environments, by managing the separation of liquid and gas phases within propellant tanks. 

The sieves are built to a high specification to withstand the extreme vibration and temperature changes involved with space travel.

Dr. Nicolas Fries, Orion propellant tank development lead at ArianeGroup, said: “Every piece of equipment for this kind of spacecraft needs to undergo a demanding qualification and acceptance programme. During the sieve development phase we had to combine the extensive sieve manufacturing expertise from John Crane with the space engineering know how of ArianeGroup. John Crane has proven to be a reliable supplier for such critical elements and we are looking forward to continue our cooperation.”

The mission also incorporates components manufactured and supplied by Flex-Tek, a key business of Smiths. These components support the Space Launch System (SLS) of Orion – the world’s most powerful rocket – and are critical for the running of the main fuel and air systems which operate the rocket.

These components are highly engineered, solid, rigid tubes that are used to safely transport fuel and gas, as well as the safe transfer of hot air. The components are made from super alloy metals – high-performance alloys that have excellent mechanical strength and can maintain their integrity at incredibly high temperatures.

In addition, Smiths Interconnect is also present on the Artemis II programme. The business provides high speed cable assemblies and cPCI connectors onboard the Orion spacecraft which are crucial for ensuring the mission’s communications systems. The components facilitate the transmission of massive amounts of data between the space craft and the space station, providing super-reliable, high-performance connectivity. Their robust, ruggedised design enables them to withstand severe environmental conditions, making them ideal for mission-critical applications such as space travel.

Roland Carter, CEO of Smiths, said: “Smiths has a long and proud history of supporting space missions. Artemis II represents a significant moment for humankind’s space ambitions, and we are honoured to play a role in enabling the mission across multiple parts of our business. We continue to develop and deliver innovative solutions to support our customers navigate the next generation of space exploration.”

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About Smiths Group
For 175 years, we have been pioneers of progress, engineering a better future. Our strategy is to be a focused, efficient and value creating industrial engineering company operating in the attractive and growing market segments of energy, industrials, construction and aerospace.

We focus on solving the toughest problems for our customers, helping address critical global needs such as decarbonisation and the ever-increasing demand for process and energy efficiency. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, we employ c.16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. For more, visit www.smiths.com.