NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility: Developing a Factory Digital Twin

This chapter presents a brief introduction and history of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility (MAFNASA Michoud assembly facility (MAF)) and current ongoing initiatives to reduce cost, improve efficiency, and eliminate deficiencies/rework using Digital Twin (DT) technologies. NASA’s mission to develop technologies and vehicles to literally reach for the stars is by its nature very costly when looked at on a per-unit basis. Commercial space flight companies, both in competition with and in partnership with NASA, are challenging NASA to explore ways to continue its unique mission while driving down costs, particularly as these complex programs like the Artemis rocket and its components transition from development to production. DT technologies have proven to be effective in many commercial applications, as well as programs for the Department of Defense, and hold substantial potential to help NASA achieve needed production enhancements and cost reductions. The Michoud Assembly Facility is serving as a prototype Factory DT for NASA as described in this chapter.