Listen to this audio excerpt from Grace Lauderdale, research projects manager in NASA Johnson's Learning Systems Division.:
In preparation for flying around the Moon on NASA's Orion spacecraft, the Artemis II crew will spend countless hours training in the Orion mission simulator. The simulator replicates what the crew will experience inside the spacecraft and allows astronauts and flight controllers to rehearse every step of the mission.
As a research project manager in the Johnson Training Systems Office, Grace Lauderdale leads the team that develops and operates the Orion mission simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, playing a key role in ensuring astronauts and mission control teams are ready for the first manned mission of the Artemis campaign.
Grace Lauderdale
Research Project Manager at NASA's Training Systems Division Johnson
A simulator is more than a mockup. It connects directly to Johnson Mission Control, sending data, audio and video in real time – just like the spacecraft during flight. This means that the mission control team is training in parallel, seeing and hearing exactly what they will see throughout the mission.
“One of our main goals is to make sure that the data they see on their displays looks like real vehicles,” Lauderdale said. “We also simulate near- and deep-space networks, including all communication delays. It's all about realism.”
This realism is enabled by a sophisticated software system developed in collaboration with partners such as Lockheed Martin. Lauderdale's team works behind the scenes to keep the simulator running smoothly, writing code, troubleshooting problems, and even creating custom faults to challenge the team during training.
To prepare astronauts for the unexpected, instructors work with Lauderdale's team to simulate problems that might arise during a mission, some of which require creative solutions.
“There are times when instructors will ask about faults or capabilities that the sim does not automatically perform,” she said. “Part of our role is to find ways to make that happen.”
Her team plans, develops and implements Orion mission simulator training scenarios across multiple Artemis missions, often simultaneously. “We are currently planning future crewed missions, developing Artemis III and executing Artemis II,” she said.
The work is demanding but deeply personal, Lauderdale said.
Grace Lauderdale
Research Project Manager at NASA's Training Systems Division Johnson
This passion is evident in her leadership. Her team often works nights, weekends and holidays to ensure the simulator is ready. During a recent 30-hour simulation, they spent several days preparing, fixing memory problems and ensuring the system didn't crash. This is wrong.
“I’m very proud of my team,” she said. “They have spent countless hours of work making sure this simulator responds exactly as it would in a real mission.”
For Lauderdale, helping send astronauts around the moon isn't just a job, it's a dream come true.
“It’s very personal for me to be involved in getting us back to the moon,” she said. “And I'm proud to be part of the team that will help get our astronauts there.”
