Artemis II Aluminum from Constellium Ravenswood Named "Coolest Thing Made in West Virginia"

Constellium Ravenswood has won the inaugural "Coolest Thing Made in West Virginia" award for producing specialized aluminum plates used in NASA's Artemis II mission. More than 3,200 public votes were cast in the statewide contest sponsored by the West Virginia Manufacturers Association. 

Our high-performance aluminum plates were used extensively throughout the Artemis II spacecraft, from the SLS launch vehicle to the Orion crew module that carried astronauts around the moon and safely back to Earth in April 2026. The material was required to be lightweight, durable, and capable of withstanding both the intense heat of launch and the extreme cold of deep space. Constellium’s aluminum-lithium products were used throughout the Artemis II mission, contributing to structural components of both the spacecraft and rocket system. 

“Knowing that our team had their hands on an aluminum plate that carried astronauts around the moon and safely landed them back on Earth, and for the men and women of Ravenswood to be a part of that program, it’s an extreme sense of pride for everyone at the plant,” said Brian McCallie, VP of Operations at Constellium Ravenswood.

The award was announced during National Manufacturing Day at Blue Ridge Community & Technical College. Bill Bissett, president of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, said Constellium's contribution to the moon mission made it a standout choice for the state's first-ever manufacturing competition. 

Winning the “Coolest Thing Made in West Virginia” competition highlights the skill, dedication, and ingenuity of the employees at our Ravenswood site. Their work on the specialized aluminum products used in NASA's Artemis II mission demonstrates how world-class manufacturing in West Virginia is helping shape history. Congratulations to the entire team on this outstanding achievement!