THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Project Artemis is billed as 'Humanity's Return to the Moon'. After a successful launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the unmanned mission is now well on its way to the Moon.
Last year The American magazine spoke to astronaut Lt Col Anne McClain (a former expat in the UK) and introduced the other team members. See the launch here, then read the interview with Col McLain and the astonaut bios below.
Lt Col Anne McClain is what you might call a 'classic astronaut.' A native of Spokane, Washington, she has served as an Army flyer and a helicopter test pilot, and notched up 216 combat missions in Iraq, two missions to the ISS, 204 days in space and two spacewalks.
Anne studied in the UK as a recipient of a Marshall Scholarship (created to thank the United States for the Marshall Plan which supported the UK after World War II). She graduated with Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Bath in 2004 and International Relations from Bristol in 2005. She played rugby in the UK Women's Premiership, then the Atlanta Harlequins, and she captained USA Rugby Women's National Team for six years, with a break for her deployment in Iraq. It was rugby that gave Anne her callsign - Annimal, from her fearsome playing style - and you can now follow her on Twitter with the handle AstroAnnimal.
Anne, I have to ask you about the equal representation of women and men in the team of 18 astronauts. That's a great step forward for space exploration, isn't it?
Yes, this is a sign that we've got that right, that we gave everybody a look.
You had a bigger pool to choose from, so you get the best of the best?
It's a very competitive pool, to be selected as an astronaut these days.
Who are your astronaut heroes?
Every single one of 'em [laughs]. I grew up watching the space shuttle and the shuttle astronauts. I learned everything about the Challenger astronauts after the accident in 1986. There's something that really struck me about them, and stuck with me. It wasn't about the accident and what happened at the end of their life. It's the way that they lived their life. I think that accident made me, as a kid, want to be as good as they were.
We interviewed the guidance officer of the Apollo 11 Mission at the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing. Your program, Artemis, has been called the twin sister of Apollo. What is Artemis going to add to manned spaceflight?
Artemis is the next step, to go back to deep space exploration. We're doing it with new technologies. We're also doing it to stay. When I lived on the International Space Station, it was about 20 years after people started living up there. Now we're going to go back to the Moon and in 20 years, somebody that right now is in high school is going to be able to go live there and conduct experiments. If I go tell a scientist, 'you can go in this lab and do whatever you want for six hours', versus 'you can go there and do whatever you want for six months, or a year', think about what they can create or what they can investigate. It's a totally different ballgame. We're going to put the Gateway space station in lunar orbit. Then we're going to have the lunar landers that go from the gateway down to the lunar surface. And we'll have the Orion that's going back and forth between Earth and the Gateway. So it's a whole architecture that we're setting up, a sustained presence in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface for research and exploration.
How long will people stay on the surface?
On the initial missions, we're looking at around a week on the surface. I leave a lot of 'gray space', because the mission architectures are getting designed right now, so we're not quite sure, but that's the order of magnitude. Eventually, I foresee it being more like a space station mission, six months or one year.
The project really starts going next year, then the manned landings are due to happen three years after that. That's pretty quick. It's quite ambitious, isn't it?
It is ambitious. And we're also very realistic about it. 2024 is the target for the crewed landing right now, and we're on time in that program. But it's also a very complex program with multiple moving parts and dependencies. We are going to do every single step along the way absolutely correctly. We are not going to put blinders on and say '2024' and overlook safety issues or rush anything. The culture here at NASA, and with our international partners, is that if at any point we see something that makes us raise our hand, stop, and add a couple months to the program, we'll do that. If it has to slide from 2024 to 2025, then that's just what's gonna happen. We are on time right now, and we hope to keep that, but we've got a lot of work to do.
So, slightly different from when JFK said 'we will land men on the moon by the end of this decade'?
Yes, I mean you want to have that pressure of solving a problem by a certain date. With the amount of money that we have, and with all our international partners, we're going to push hard for 2024. We're not going to take any slides lightly, but we're going to do everything right, along the way.
One thing that Apollo did was to bring humanity together. People all over the world said there are men up there, not 'Americans'. Do you think Artemis will have the same effect, bringing people together again?
Absolutely. The Artemis Accords have already been signed by multiple countries. We have multiple countries that have signed on to build portions of the Gateway, build pieces of the architecture and provide astronauts for the mission. It's going to be a lot more like the International Space Station, you're going to see a lot of different flags on the side of it.
On that note, do you have any idea who you'll be paired up with in your crew?
No, not quite yet! It's a great group, there's no bad choices.
One final question? What's the best thing about being Anne McClain?
[laughs] Oh! I am a very blessed person. I have an amazing family, and I'm happy, that's the best part. I'm happy because I decided to pursue something that I'm passionate about, that I love, and I get to work with really good people. I think being happy and content at 41 is all I can ask.
The Artemis program, the return of manned missions to the Moon, is a lunar exploration program that will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024, NASA says, and it will establish a long term, sustainable human presence on the surface by the end of the decade.
Introducing the team at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, then Vice President Mike Pence said, "I give you the heroes who will carry us to the Moon and beyond – the Artemis Generation. It is amazing to think that the next man and first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. The Artemis Team astronauts are the future of American space exploration – and that future is bright."
The 18 Artemis astronauts come from a wide and diverse range of backgrounds, expertise and experience. They include nine men and nine women. Notably for The American three of them have connections to the UK:
Lt Col Anne C McClain studied and lived in the UK. See our interview with her above.
Kjell Lindgren, born in Tapei, Taiwan, spent much of his childhood in England, and attended his Freshman year at Lakenheath American High School before moving back to the US. After graduating from James W Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Virginia, in 1991, he attended the US Air Force Academy before joining the US Air Force Parachuting Team. He began working with NASA in 2007, and took part in his first space flight in 2015. During 141 days in space, he took part in two space walks, and is thought to be the first person to play the bagpipes in space while on board the International Space Station.
Kayla Barron joined NASA's Astronaut Candidate Class in 2017, and is now eligible to participate in missions. A Washington native, she studied at the University of Cambridge on a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, graduating with a Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering before going on to become one of the first group of women to serve as submarine warfare officers.
The other Artemis Team members are:
Joseph Acaba who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. He has spent 306 days in space and performed three spacewalks. The Anaheim, California, native holds a Bachelor's degree in Geology, as well as Master's degrees in Geology and Education. Before coming to NASA, he taught high school science and middle school math and science.
Raja Chari joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A colonel in the US Air Force, he was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He received a Bachelor's degree in Astronautical Engineering and a Master's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics. The US Naval Test Pilot School graduate worked on F-15E upgrades and then the F-35 development program, before coming to NASA.
Matthew Dominick was chosen as an astronaut in 2017. Born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Systems Engineering. He also graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School and was a developmental test pilot specializing in aircraft carrier launches and landings before coming to NASA.
Victor Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013. The Pomona, California, native and US Navy Commander earned a Bachelor's degree in General Engineering and Master's degrees in Flight Test Engineering, Systems Engineering, and Military Operational Art and Science. He piloted the Crew-1 Dragon Resilience and is currently serving as an Expedition 64 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station.
Warren Hoburg joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Before coming to NASA, he was an assistant professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a seasonal member of the Yosemite Search and Rescue team.
Jonny Kim came to NASA as part of the 2017 astronaut class. The Los Angeles, California, native enlisted in the US Navy following high school. He became a Navy SEAL before earning his commission and going back to school to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, followed by a Doctor of Medicine.
Christina Hammock Koch was selected as an astronaut in 2013 and holds the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days in space and six spacewalks. She grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and received Bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Physics, and a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
Nicole A. Mann joined the astronaut corps in 2013 and is currently training as pilot for the Crew Flight Test of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner. Born in Petaluma, California, she earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering. The US Marine Corps lieutenant colonel was an F/A-18 fighter pilot and graduate from the US Naval Test Pilot School.
Jessica Meir was chosen as an astronaut in 2013. She has spent 205 days in space and performed three spacewalks. A native of Caribou, Maine, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology, a Master's degree in Space Studies, and a Doctorate in Marine Biology. Before coming to NASA, she studied the physiology of animals in extreme environments.
Jasmin Moghbeli joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A major in the US Marine Corps, she was raised in Baldwin, New York. She received both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Aerospace Engineering. She also graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School and tested H-1 helicopters before she came to NASA.
Kate Rubins was chosen as an astronaut in 2009 and is currently orbiting Earth on her second flight aboard the International Space Station. She was raised in Napa, California, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and a Doctorate in Cancer Biology. She was the first person to sequence DNA in space and has performed two spacewalks.
Frank Rubio was selected as part of the 2017 astronaut class. The US Army lieutenant colonel considers Miami, Florida, his hometown. He earned a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and a Doctor of Medicine. He served as both a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and a flight surgeon in the Army before coming to NASA.
Scott Tingle came to NASA to join the 2009 astronaut class. The US Navy captain has spent 168 days in space and performed one spacewalk. He considers Randolph, Massachusetts, his hometown and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering. He also graduated from the US Navy Test Pilot School.
Jessica Watkins joined the astronaut corps in 2017. The Lafayette, Colorado, native received a Bachelor's degree in Geological and Environmental Sciences, and a Doctorate in Geology. Before becoming an astronaut, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology, where she served as a member of the science team for the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity.
Stephanie Wilson was chosen as an astronaut in 1996. A veteran of three space shuttle flights, she has spent 42 days in space. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Science and a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering. Before becoming an astronaut, she worked on the Galileo spacecraft at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
