Listen to this audio excerpt from Jackie Mahaffey, Artemis II's chief training officer:
When the Artemis II crew orbits the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, they will spend countless hours preparing for the lunar mission, and Jackie Mahaffey will play a role in preparing them for the journey.
As chief training officer for Artemis II at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Mahaffey manages the planning, development and implementation of astronaut training and integrated simulations. Her job is to make sure that as the Artemis II crew travels around the moon inside Orion, astronauts and flight controllers are prepared for every moment—the expected and the unexpected.
Jackie Mahaffey
Artemis II Chief Training Specialist
The crew of Artemis II began extensive preparations in 2023, but the work of Mahaffey and her team began long before that. Several years before training began, her team gathered experts on how to operate various aspects of Orion and what the crew would need to know to complete their mission.
“One of my favorite moments in this process was when we all got together in one room and everyone brought a piece of paper for each different lesson or learning activity they expected to do with the team,” Mahaffey said. “And we've thought through everything to figure out what's the best order to do all of this preparation in to help the team build the big picture.”
Preparations for Artemis II began shortly after the crew announcement, with Mahaffey and her team familiarizing the astronauts with Orion's systems and operational basics. Once the necessary simulators and mock-ups were ready, the crew moved on to hands-on training to become more familiar with their spacecraft.
At Johnson, Mahaffey's team uses a number of specialized facilities, including a spacecraft mock-up where astronauts rehearse living and working inside the Orion mock-up; Orion mission simulator, which replicates flight software and displays; and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, where the crew practices water survival techniques in post-splashdown scenarios.
“We try to simulate as much as possible here on Earth,” Mahaffey said. “But we still have gravity, so we rely on the crew's experience to imagine how they would use space in microgravity.”
Three of the four Artemis II astronauts have already flown in space, and Mahaffey considers their experience a major asset. They bring ideas that shape training procedures and plans, and learn from each other's unique problem-solving styles.
“They teach us how to think about working in space and what will make the most difference,” she said.
Mahaffey's journey began with a love of engineering and a job as a flight controller at Johnson Mission Control. She found joy in teaching others and eventually transitioned into coaching full-time. She now leads a team of approximately 100 members who are working to prepare the team for the historic mission.
“I didn’t want to be a coach—I studied engineering because I loved physics and maths,” she said. “But as the work shifted toward applying that engineering knowledge, communicating and planning for spacecraft control, the natural next step was to train others.”
Jackie Mahaffey
Artemis II Chief Training Specialist
For Mahaffey, Artemis is a bridge connecting her family's legacy to the future of space exploration. Her grandfather worked on control systems for Apollo, and she sees her work as a continuation of that history, now with more advanced technology and new horizons.
“We’re doing the same things Apollo did, but we’re expanding them,” she said. “We will learn more about the Moon, the history of our Earth and how we will get to Mars.”
Her role during Artemis II also includes serving as Artemis' captain, short for capsule communicator, a position in mission control that communicates directly with crew members. Mahaffey plans to work the initial shift on the Artemis II, helping the crew splash down and ensuring their safe recovery. This moment would be the culmination of her entire team's hard work.
“I'll feel good when the rescue forces report the hatch is open,” Mahaffey said. “This moment will be incredible.”
