PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Engineers at L3 Harris Technologies west of Jupiter are playing a crucial role in NASA's Artemis program, building engines that will help power astronauts back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
Inside a sterile "clean room" at the aerospace facility, Nicole Cummings stands beside the RL10 engine, a piece of technology that will be essential to the upcoming Artemis 2 mission.
WATCH BELOW: Palm Beach County engineers power NASA's moon mission
"We combine our hydrogen and our oxygen," Cummings said, explaining how the engine works during the critical first minutes of a rocket launch.
The RL10 engine will help propel the Artemis 2 spacecraft into high Earth orbit, where astronauts will conduct several maneuvers and demonstrations before heading to the moon.
"It's going to help get it into that high earth orbit where our astronauts will be doing several maneuvers and demonstrations before they go off into the moon," said Cummings, who serves as the RL10 program manager for NASA.
The engine represents decades of proven technology. More than 500 RL10 engines have propelled spacecraft to explore every planet in our solar system, making it a true workhorse of space exploration.
For Cummings, a graduate of Wellington High School and Florida Atlantic University, working on the Artemis program carries deep personal significance. She had the opportunity to meet with the Artemis crew last year in Palm Beach County and understands the weight of responsibility she and her team carry.
"We know we have their lives in our hands. To be a part of this, we take every part of this mission seriously," Cummings said.
The RL10 engine is expected to power not just Artemis 2, but future missions that will eventually land astronauts on the lunar surface.
"To be a part of this historic moment, it's just an amazing feeling not only for myself, but for the entire team and the entire company. This is history and to be a part of this, we are extremely excited," Cummings said.
When launch day arrives, Cummings plans to watch with her family, counting down the seconds until her team's work heads off into space.
Florida has served as an aerospace hub for decades, and Palm Beach County's contribution to the Artemis program demonstrates the region's continued importance in America's space exploration efforts.
Artemis 2 is scheduled to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, Feb. 8.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
