NASA, Artemis project put economic rocket in New Orleans's pocket

Work on the Artemis II mission to send astronauts around the moon continues at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East. On Tuesday, NASA rolled out the fully-assembled core stage for the space launch system that will help send those astronauts into space.

According to GNO, Inc., CEO Michael Hecht, this work is good news for the New Orleans economy.

"It's massive: the Michoud Assembly Facility employees over 3,000 people," Hecht said.

Three thousand people who, Hecht says, make major contributions to the area's income tax base.

"These are all highly-paying positions. Some of them are literal rocket scientists," Hecht said. "There are over a dozen major tenants, including major global firms like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, not to mention NASA being there.

Hecht notes that you don't need to be a rocket scientist to appreciate the economic benefit NASA brings to the New Orleans metro area. The people working to put astronauts back on the moon are spending their money here, driving up sales tax revenues and keeping local businesses open.

"It's a major advanced manufacturing facility that supports jobs and people who live not just in New Orleans East but also on the Northshore and around the region," Hecht said. "You have to think about all the purchases that are being made by these individuals. You have to think the income taxes that are being made (and) the infrastructure improvements that are beginning to happen around NASA Michoud that are beginning to attract other tenants to places like the industrial park across the street."

With the Super Bowl coming to New Orleans in February, Hecht says the city will highlight the Michoud Facility's role in sending man to the moon to promote the city's place in the history of space exploration.

"We're going to be doing some new signage for New Orleans East for the Super Bowl, and one of the things that we're going to highlight is the fact that every single manned space flight since Apollo has been built in New Orleans and New Orleans East," Hecht said. "It's something that we should be proud of. It's great for our economy. It's also a major part of the legacy of our nation."