ME Elecmetal has reached a new milestone in its journey as a global leader in wear solutions for mining, being confirmed as the only qualified supplier by NASA for the production of track pads, key components for the mobility of the space agency's crawler-transporters.
ME Elecmetal has been NASA’s trusted partner for this mission-critical component for over 20 years. “It is a great pride to be part of the US critical space infrastructure and all these years demonstrate the company’s worldwide reputation in precision casting and innovation”, say representatives of ME Elecmetal.
Strategic contribution
The track shoe is a massive, highly engineered casting that enables NASA’s crawler-transporters to move spacecraft to the launch platform.
The US agency uses two crawler-transporters to move spacecraft from its assembly building to the launch complex. These have been operating since 1965 and have been modernized as space vehicle programs have evolved.
NASA refurbished both transporters in 2003 and ME Elecmetal was selected to produce nearly 1,000 track pads at its Duluth, Minnesota facilities to replace obsolete parts. Recently, the transporters have been further modernized for the Artemis Program vehicles, increasing transport needs from 12 million to 18 million pounds. ME Elecmetal has again been selected as the only qualified supplier of track pads for NASA, with an order of 114 shoes completed in 2025, which will be used over the next 30 years.
Technology and sustainability
ME Elecmetal produces the shoes using the vacuum molding process (V-Process), which reduces emissions and sand waste, and commits to circularity by using nearly 90% recycled metal in its final products.
These sustainable processes make the Duluth facilities especially suitable for high-spec components like NASA’s track pads.
Innovation award
The development of this product has been selected by the “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” contest, which recognizes the 64 best innovations made statewide. This distinction is possible thanks to the combination of our precision engineering, technological innovation, and sustainable practices that made the difference against other competitors. You can vote for our product at the following link:
