PHOTOS: Senator Peters and NASA Administrator Visit Futuramic in Detroit to Highlight Michigan’s Robust Aerospace Manufacturing Sector

DETROIT, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson visited Futuramic Tool & Engineering Company in Detroit to highlight the important role that Michigan’s robust aerospace sector plays in supporting American space exploration, economic competitiveness, and national security. Peters and Nelson toured the company’s facilities, met with workers, and witnessed firsthand the fabrication of tools and flight hardware used by NASA for critical components of its missions.

“Michigan workers excel at the kind of high-precision, advanced manufacturing needed to build technologies that can safely send Americans into space. This expertise has made us a hotbed for the aerospace industry,” said Senator Peters. “The space exploration systems that Futuramic and others in our state are helping to build will enable humans to travel farther into our solar system than ever before, and make unprecedented scientific discoveries about our universe that will translate to further innovation here at home. I was grateful to have the opportunity to witness this exciting work firsthand, and I’ll continue working to ensure NASA and its partners like Futuramic have the support they need to continue driving technological development and economic growth in our state.”

“Michigan is a key part of the aerospace industry, and I was glad to visit Futuramic today with Senator Peters to see their work in action,” said Administrator Bill Nelson. “Futuramic’s story is an American success story, transitioning from the automotive industry to the aerospace industry. Now, Futuramic and the other NASA suppliers in Michigan will help us return to the Moon and go even farther to Mars. I look forward to continuing to work with the growing aerospace industry in Michigan.”

“It was an honor to have NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Senator Gary Peters here today to see up close some of the advanced engineering and manufacturing operations at Futuramic. We can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to showcase our skilled workforce, while highlighting the importance of continued Aerospace funding for small family-owned businesses like Futuramic,” said John Couch, Vice President of Futuramic Tool and Engineering.  

Michigan is home to more than 600 aerospace-related companies and ranks within the top 10 states in the nation for aerospace manufacturing attractiveness. In 2021, NASA generated over $142 million in economic impact and supported over 780 jobs in Michigan. 

Futuramic is supporting NASA’s return to the Moon by supplying parts for NASA’s new deep space rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), its Orion spacecraft, and its Exploration Ground Systems. Through NASA’s Artemis program, the agency will embark on a series of increasingly complex missions in the coming years to establish an American presence at the Moon and develop the skills needed to send astronauts to Mars, bolstering scientific discovery, economic growth, and U.S. national security.  

To download photos from the event, click here. 

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