By JOSEPH DICRISTOFARO
Sat, April 11, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Updated Sun, April 12, 2026 at 12:55 PM
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — As the Artemis II crew splashed down safely into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, the work of several facilities in West Virginia helped guide it safely on its journey. One of which was Constellium in Ravenswood, which produced aluminum plates, covering the rocket from tip to tail.
“A program leader came down and an astronaut spent a whole day with us,” Constellium Ravenswood Vice President of Operations Brian McCallie said. “Amongst all the things that they have to do on a daily basis, dedicated a whole day to spend with us.”
Constellium wasn’t the only place nestled in the mountains of West Virginia helping in the journey. The massive Green Bank Telescope helped track Orion for several days, all while the NASA facility in Fairmont kept important systems and software up to date, instilling a sense of pride for those like McCallie.
“We’re here in Jackson County, West Virginia,” he said. “But we’ve got employees from all over the the Mid-Ohio Valley. Certainly, every time I get an opportunity, I’m telling everyone I meet about what we do here in Jackson County at this amazing facility, what our men and women do and how proud we are to call West Virginia home.”
West Virginians are no stranger to helping NASA send astronauts beyond Earth. It was West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University) graduate Katherine Johnson who helped calculate the trajectory of the Apollo 11 flight that would ultimately put Neil Armstrong on the surface of the moon.
For Ripley Mayor Carolyn Rader, her neighbors over in Ravenswood at the Constellium plant embody the important role West Virginians play.