Meet NASA’s New Artemis II Science Officers – NASA Science

Business clothes, headsets and many computer monitors are a stark contrast to the hiking gear, rock hammers and volcanic fields of Iceland. For Kelsey Young of NASA’s Goddard Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Trevor Graff and Angela Garcia of Johnson Space Center in Houston, comfort and expertise across both areas made them uniquely qualified to be NASA’s first Artemis II officers.

The integration of science into human spaceflight dates back to Apollo, but Artemis introduces a new level dedicated to NASA’s Artificial Intelligence, marking a revolution in how science is integrated into mission operations.

“The science officer is the senior flight commander responsible for lunar science projects during the Artemis mission,” said Young, who also serves as NASA’s Artemis II lunar science lead. “They will coordinate with all other disciplines and ensure that NASA’s lunar mission is perfectly integrated into the mission.”

The front room of Study Control is filled with consoles, or workstations, each dedicated to a specific system or mission function. Flight controllers in each computer oversee areas such as communications, life support, propulsion, and now, science. Most of the consoles are supported by larger teams of experts working out of different “back rooms” at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, or elsewhere.

Young, Garcia, and Graff completed months of pilot training, testing, and certification simulations at Mission Control, while conducting geological studies and lunar exploration and simulations in conjunction with scientists.

“One of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding parts of the process is the simulations, where we put our skills and knowledge to the test while immersing ourselves in real mission situations,” said Graff.

The simulations mostly involved the Artemis II astronauts and covered part of the lunar flyby mission, scheduled for Monday, April 6, during which the crew will take pictures of the Moon and record audio of what they saw. They will be the eyes of lunar scientists on Earth and have undergone geological training in the classroom and in the field to be able to take as much information as possible during their passage around the far side of the Moon. Young said scientists have worked hard to build their lunar science toolboxes, study the moon’s geography, orbit moons like Iceland, and develop their ability to provide impactful scientific interpretations of the Moon.

Listen to this audio clip from Kelsey Young as she talks about how the Artemis II astronauts studied the geography of the moon in preparation for their mission. Credit: NASA’s Curious Universe

After so many months of hearing their interpretations of the moon sightings during the simulations, I’m so excited for the first time to hear them describe the real Moon through the Orion windows,” said Young. “Hearing the excitement and scientific meaning behind their explanations will be an amazing moment.”

The human eye and brain can detect subtle changes in color, texture and other surface characteristics. Having astronomical eyes look directly at the surface of the moon, along with all the advances that scientists have made regarding the Moon over the past few decades, can lead to new discoveries and a deeper appreciation of the features on the Moon. Although Artemis II will not land on the moon, its contributions to lunar science are significant.

“Employees will be checking with observations – a basic scientific tool,” Garcia said.

As scientists observe, their photos and audio recordings will be fed into two backstage science rooms at NASA Johnson, the Science Observatory and the Science Operations Room. Experts in these rooms will provide data analysis and policy guidance in real time to the scientific officer in the Labor Department. These procedures represent the main role of Artemis II as a test flight: refining the functions of the scientific instruments.

The project will test the lunar science team’s performance, technical requirements, and coordination with Mission Control. Lessons learned during Artemis II will pave the way for lunar science operations for future Artemis missions. Young explained that the integration of science into human space has a long, rich history. Although there was no science representative in the front room of Mission Control during Apollo, there was a geological back room at Johnson’s. As the Apollo missions progressed, the interface with the flight control team changed and the footprint grew as the scientific capabilities of each mission grew.

Garcia said he is humbled, honored and grateful to be a part of the flight control team and train the astronauts. The moon is something that everyone, everywhere, can see and connect with, according to Young.

“I hope that people around the world can be inspired by moving away from our planet,” said Young, “I also hope that they will remember the Moon, how much we still have to learn about our closest neighbors but also the special place it holds for people everywhere.”

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