Cleveland Played a Big Role in the Upcoming Artemis II Spaceflight Mission

“This is where the magic happens,” aerospace flight systems engineer Joel Knapp says, gesturing to four desktop screens in an office room in NASA Glenn Research Center’s Telesite Support Center.

The Artemis II mission, slated to launch the Orion spacecraft from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center this year, is set to possibly take astronauts farther from Earth than ever before, before looping back earthside. All eyes are on the sky for this first crewed spaceflight around the moon since 1972.

When the rocket revs up to leave Earth, a group of Cleveland scientists will be monitoring the mission’s real-time telemetry data, monitoring Orion’s powerhouse, the European Service Module.

“If everything’s working, it’s a piece of cake,” Knapp says. “You’re just on the edge of your seat, waiting for them to send a command or initiate a certain action, and then seeing if that action occurred properly and that the data matches what you’re expecting to see.”

Before both Artemis missions, the Orion spacecraft was rigorously tested in Sandusky’s Armstrong Testing Facility’s space environments complex. There, it was ensured the ship was prepared for the rigors of space travel, with scenarios that included acoustic blasts, vacuums and extreme temperatures.

“The facility is unique in that it’s a one-stop shop for these types of tests,” says Aaron Weaver, NASA Glenn’s chief of human exploration and space operations projects.

Currently, Weaver and his team are also testing the human landing system, which should deliver humans to the moon in 2028, and doing research on rover tires. It all amounts to something huge: After 2028, NASA Glenn research will contribute to developing a permanent base on the moon — and, beyond that, a human mission to Mars.

“We have an important role to play here,” Weaver says. “We should recognize this as a really big asset in our community.”

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, featuring immersive stories, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.