By providing technologies that help put people and satellites in space, and protecting the armed service around the world as they protect our freedoms at home, Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company (EBAD) continuously seeks to improve the lives of people.
EBAD’s satellite HDRM’s have the broadest use in the US and European space market, having been used on over 500 platforms to date. EBAD has designed, qualified and delivered more HRDMs for spaceflight applications than anyone else in the world.
For almost 60 years, EBAD has supplied initiation, separation, and flight destruct hardware for commercial and government launches.
The need for precise explosive solutions is essential to the success of every mission. That is why since 1836, EBAD has been the technology innovator and industry leader in Military Demolition, Breaching and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) products.
EBAD is the industry leader for highly reliable precision ordnance solutions. For nearly 60 years, our products have directly contributed to thousands of successful missions on Strategic Missile, Missile Defense, and Tactical Missile platforms.
We are constantly investing in our future at Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense. It is our safety-first commitment that allows us to protect our people, facilities, and customers. Whatever your next mission is, EBAD is here to deliver top-of-the-line solutions and innovations. EBAD – Right for Your Mission™.
Simsbury Manufacturer Plays Critical Role in NASA’s Artemis II Crewed Lunar Mission
Simsbury, CT – April 1 A Simsbury-based manufacturer is helping send astronauts around the Moon.
Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD), which employs approximately 500 people in Simsbury, CT and 300 in Moorpark, CA has designed, manufactured, and rigorously tested mission-critical hardware supporting NASA’s Artemis II mission; the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years.
Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby, traveling approximately 1.4 million miles before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at 24,500 mph. The mission will validate NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft ahead of future lunar landings.
EBAD provides Flight Termination System, initiation, and stage separation components on the SLS rocket, supporting Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The company also supplies critical separation hardware for Lockheed Martin’s Orion spacecraft, including systems supporting the Crew Module, Launch Abort System, and Service Module.
These systems execute essential events during launch and ascent and must perform with exact timing. Their performance is directly tied to mission success and astronaut safety.
All Artemis II hardware was developed and qualified at EBAD’s Simsbury facility. The company conducts in-house shock and vibration testing and validates performance in extreme environmental conditions including severe heat and cold. Every component is tested, inspected, and verified to ensure it performs safely and works the first time.
EBAD has supported the Artemis program since 2008 and previously contributed to the successful Artemis I mission. In 2024, representatives from NASA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing visited the Simsbury facility to recognize employees for their role in that historic flight.
“From right here in Connecticut, our employees are contributing to one of the most significant human spaceflight missions in decades. Artemis II represents progress, persistence, and partnership. We are proud to stand alongside NASA and our industry partners in enabling the next chapter of exploration,” said Jennifer Lewis, President of EBAD.
Approximately 50 employees at EBAD worked directly on Artemis II systems as part of the broader Simsbury team.
“For our employees, our customer missions are the reason we are here. Every customer’s mission is critical, but there is something special about building and providing hardware for the first astronaut mission in over 50 years. Regardless of our extensive product heritage, our team spends a significant amount of time inspecting, testing, and verifying the hardware because it must work the first time,” said Lisa Brown, Market Segment Director for Space & Launch Vehicles.
As Artemis II prepares to launch, EBAD remains focused on delivering reliable systems that enable safe and successful human spaceflight.
For more information about EBAD’s capabilities, visit: https://ebad.com/capabilities/