ARTEMIS II LAUNCH — A MAJOR MILESTONE IN HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:00:04 GMT

First crewed Artemis mission returns humans to lunar orbit for the first time since 1972

NASA’s Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch on April 1 at 6:24 PM, marking the first crewed flight of the Artemis program. The mission will send four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth, launching from Kennedy Space Center. This historic flight will be the first time humans travel to the lunar vicinity since Apollo 17 in 1972. Following the mission, the crew is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego. You can learn more about the mission directly from NASA here:   https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-ii/

Southern California’s Role in Artemis II

California plays a leading role in the Artemis program, with more than 16,000 employees across over 500 companies contributing to the mission. Southern California, in particular, is home to a number of key aerospace companies and specialized contractors supporting Artemis II.

Prime Contractors with Southern California Facilities

Aerojet Rocketdyne -  The Canoga Park facility leads development of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket engines, including upgrades and testing of the RS-25 engines powering the mission.
Northrop Grumman  - With a strong presence in Redondo Beach, El Segundo, and Manhattan Beach, these teams contribute critical engineering and components for the Orion launch abort system.
Lockheed Martin -  Teams in San Diego support recovery operations at sea following splashdown off the California coast.
Boeing  - Facilities in Huntington Beach and El Segundo contribute to SLS and Orion engineering efforts.

Regional Specialized Contractors

AMRO Fabricating Corp – Large, complex metallic structures for SLS and Orion
Karman Space & Defense – Key mission hardware components
Applied Composites – Advanced composite materials
Advanced Test Equipment Corp – Mission-critical testing hardware
Rayotek Scientific – Specialized glass and high-pressure viewing systems

NASA Centers Supporting the Mission

Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Deep space communication and navigation
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center – Aircraft-based tracking of Orion during reentry

Artemis II represents a major step forward in returning humans to deep space, and highlights the depth of innovation and collaboration across the aerospace community, particularly here in Southern California.

IMAGE CREDIT

NASA/Bill Ingalls

ACSC HONOREE NEAL BLUE RECOGNIZED BY SDBJ

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:08:02 GMT

HHMA Recipient J. Neal Blue Ranked #3 on San Diego Business Journal’s “Wealthiest San Diegans 2025” List

Aero Club of Southern California Congratulates J. Neal Blue on SDBJ Recognition

The Aero Club of Southern California is pleased to congratulate J. Neal Blue on being recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as #3 on its “Wealthiest San Diegans 2025” list, with an estimated net worth of $5.5 billion.

This recognition reflects more than financial success—it underscores a career of extraordinary leadership and long-term impact in aerospace, defense, energy innovation, and STEM education.

As Chairman and CEO of General Atomics, Mr. Blue has helped lead one of the most influential private technology companies in the country. The San Diego Business Journal article highlights General Atomics’ work in areas including:

Unmanned aircraft systems
Electromagnetic aircraft launch and recovery systems for the U.S. Navy
Hypersonic technologies
Fusion energy research, including major contributions to the DIII-D National Fusion Facility and ITER

The article also notes his role as co-founder and chairman of Cordillera Corporation, as well as the Blue family’s longstanding support of STEM education through the General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation and other educational philanthropy.

An HHMA Recipient

The Aero Club of Southern California was proud to honor J. Neal Blue with the Howard Hughes Memorial Award at our annual gala celebration in October at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. This award recognizes individuals whose work has made a significant impact on the aerospace industry.

Mr. Blue’s leadership, vision, and support of innovation exemplify the caliber of individuals the Aero Club seeks to recognize and celebrate.

We extend our congratulations to Mr. Blue on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his continued contributions to aerospace and the broader scientific community.

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