A pyrotechnic device produced by Chemring Energetic Devices – and used in the launch of NASA’s recent Artemis II/Orion Mission – has won the title for The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.
After several rounds of public voting, the NASA Standard Initiator (NSI) emerged as the winner of the 2026 Makers Madness contest, hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) and sponsored by Comcast Business. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker crowned the Chemring Energetic Devices product as this year’s winner at a ceremony Wednesday, April 15, at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield.
The NSI is an electrically activated pyrotechnic device that played a critical role in this month’s Artemis II/Orion mission. Chemring Energetic Devices is a world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of energetic and electro-mechanical devices and systems for the aerospace and defense industries.
Its NSI was selected from an initial field of 100 product nominations and after nearly 167,000 votes were cast throughout the eight-week competition, IMA said in a news release.
“This year’s winner is truly out of this world and represents the very best of Illinois manufacturing, embodying the creativity and innovation that is the hallmark of our incredible industry,” IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler said. “The NASA Standard Initiator helped propel Artemis II and the Orion spacecraft further into space than ever before and allowed astronauts to see the dark side of the Moon and set the stage for a lunar landing.”
The annual contest celebrates the incredible work of Illinois manufacturers, whose industry is the largest contributor of any industry to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. Manufacturing supports nearly a third of all jobs in Illinois and contributes more than $580 billion to the state’s economy each year.
‘Illinois innovation to the moon’
“I’m proud to congratulate the brilliant minds at Chemring Energetic Devices on their Makers Madness victory,” the governor said. “The NASA Standard Initiator helped make Artemis II’s historic mission possible and literally took Illinois innovation to the moon.”
Mr. Pritzker added that “Illinois’ remarkable inventors are shaping the world’s future every day, and our state’s thriving manufacturing sector continues to power that progress.”
Sharing the company’s gratitude for the honor, Karen Kern, principal contracts manager, said “The NSI has become a symbol of reliability, ingenuity and precision while supporting countless mission critical moments – from staging and separation to maneuvers that carry exploration forward.”
She added that Chemring Energetic Devices is the only provider of NSI initiators to NASA and “proud to contribute to humanity’s most ambitious achievements. The NSI has flown on every NASA mission since Apollo and most recently was a critical part of the historic Artemis II mission. This recognition is a celebration of our fantastic employees and their craftsmanship, dedication, and passion.”
QC-made product makes finals
The other three finalists included:
- The John Deere Combine, a high capacity agriculture equipment with advanced automation to improve harvesting productivity, manufactured by John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline.
- Duck Skimmer, a self-adjusting, floating weir skimmer used to advance environmental protection and safety, manufactured by Elastec in Carmi.
- The Aerapy PPR HVAC UV System, a rooftop ultraviolet (UV-C) disinfection system that can reduce airborne pathogens and increase HVAC efficiency, manufactured by Aerapy in St. Charles.
“While only one winner can claim the title, all of the products and manufacturers nominated deserve recognition for their hard work and many contributions to our economy and our society,” Mr. Denzler said in the release.
Last year’s champion was the Aerial Firefighting Helicopter Refill Pump, a pump that provides rapid and reliable water access for aerial firefighting teams, made by MTH pumps in Plano. Previous contest winners include the Komatsu mining truck made in Peoria; the Rosenberg Moon Habitat by Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford; Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck made in Normal; the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village; and the 797F Mining Truck, the world’s largest mechanical truck, manufactured by Caterpillar, Inc. in Decatur.
