Friction-Stir Dome Assembly at NASA Michoud

Inside NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, a massive aluminum dome section undergoes welding using a PAR Systems I-Stir Friction Welder — a precision tool developed for joining thick aerospace materials without melting them. This technique, essential for spacecraft and fuel tank construction, uses frictional heat and mechanical pressure to create exceptionally strong, defect-free joints. Boeing engineers employ the system for the assembly of rocket and space vehicle components, part of a long legacy of large-scale fabrication at Michoud dating back to the Saturn V and Space Shuttle programs. Related photographs from the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where NASA’s Space Launch System core stages are assembled for Artemis missions.