When NASA launches its next mission taking astronauts to the moon and then to Mars for deep space exploration, Oklahoma will have had a hand in making that happen.

At least eight companies from Oklahoma, including International Crystal Manufacturing in Oklahoma City, are among the roughly 3,800 suppliers nationwide that will equip NASAs latest Orion mission, Artemis 1. The space agency plans to return to the moon by 2024 and embark on long-term lunar exploration by 2028.

It's really nice to be able to be part of that research. And I have to say it's kind of cool to think that the parts that I handle, the parts that I inspect, that I've tested, are going to be in space for the next 30 years where they're orbiting Saturn or Jupiter, said Scott Courts, a physicist and applications scientist at Lake Shore Cryotronics in Westerville, Ohio.

Lake Shore Cyrotronics is building the Cernox temperature sensor. The gold-wired connectors inside the sensor are thinner in diameter than a strand of human hair. But the tiny sensing element made of copper, gold and ceramics can withstand temperatures ranging from minus-458 degrees Fahrenheit to plus-300 degrees.

The main companies contracting with NASA are those you would expect.

Lockheed Martin is working on Orion, which will be able to take astronauts to multiple destinations in space.

Boeing is the lead for the rocket and launch system which will transport crew members and support systems into deep space.

Aerojet Rocketdyne is responsible for 25 engines.

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Oklahomans are playing a role in NASA missions - Oklahoman.com