Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Inducted into the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame

Connecticut aerospace manufacturer honored for 190 years of innovation and its critical role in NASA’s historic Artemis II mission

HARTFORD, CT, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD) was inducted into the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame yesterday at the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Forum, held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Lisa Brown, EBAD’s Market Segment Director for Launch Vehicles, accepted the honor on behalf of the company. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal presented the induction, with Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Chief Manufacturing Officer Kirti Patel also in attendance.

The induction recognizes EBAD’s 190-year manufacturing legacy in Simsbury, dating back to 1836 and William Bickford’s invention of the safety fuse, as well as the company’s role as a critical supplier on NASA’s Artemis II mission. Hardware designed and built by EBAD performed successfully throughout Artemis II, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years. During the nearly 10-day mission, which launched April 1, 2026, four astronauts traveled approximately 1.4 million miles, reaching a record distance of 252,756 miles from Earth before safely returning home. EBAD engineered the critical separation hardware that helped separate Orion’s Crew Module from its Service Module, a crucial step ahead of the astronauts’ return to Earth.
“From our beginnings here in Connecticut to our position today as an industry leader in Space and Defense across three different states, the constant throughout our history has been our people,” said Lisa Brown, Market Segment Director for Launch Vehicles, EBAD. “Generations of talent have brought ingenuity, craftsmanship, and commitment to EBAD – and today, their work supports some of the most demanding and critical missions in the world. …. We are incredibly proud of our Connecticut roots, proud of the legacy we’ve built here, and excited about what comes next.”

The Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Forum, presented by Connecticut Office of Manufacturing, brought together manufacturers, educators and state leaders to explore the technologies, strategies and workforce solutions shaping the industry’s future. EBAD served as an event sponsor alongside RBC Bearings, Trumpf, CLA and Raymond James, with Fox61 as media partner.
Founded in 2014, the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame honors Connecticut’s manufacturing and innovation legacy, celebrating a state that has served as a birthplace of innovation for more than 350 years — from the helicopter and the nuclear submarine to the first spacesuit worn on the Moon. americanmanufacturinghof.com

About Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD)
Since 1836, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense has been a technology innovator and industry leader in energetic solutions for aerospace and defense, providing technologies that help put people and satellites into space and protect armed services around the world. Headquartered in Simsbury, Connecticut, with an engineering and manufacturing facility in Moorpark, California and Graham, Kentucky, EBAD has supplied initiation, separation and flight-destruct hardware for commercial and government launches for nearly 60 years, and its satellite hold-down and release mechanisms have flown on more than 500 platforms. EBAD is right for your mission. Learn more at ebad.com.

Kathy Beazley
KRB Communications
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