Artemis II: Woman who grew up in Austin plays key role in moon mission

Woman in Austin plays large part in Artemis II mission

As the Artemis II mission makes history, a woman who grew up in Austin is playing a key role in getting four astronauts around the moon and back.

AUSTIN, Texas - As the Artemis II mission makes history, a woman who grew up in Austin is playing a key role in getting four astronauts around the moon and back.

NASA Deputy Chief Flight Director Emily Nelson, who was born in Okinawa, Japan, but raised in Austin, is helping lead the mission from Houston.

Local perspective:

"I count myself really lucky and super grateful to all of those teachers that I benefited from so much through all of these years in Austin," said NASA Deputy Chief Flight Director Emily Nelson.

She credits her education at Austin ISD with giving her a strong foundation in math and science.

"We had what we called the Science, Math, and Computer Academy in Austin, a magnet program. That's where I went into high school. So I spent a lot of time studying even advanced math in high school, again, one of the best school districts around, because I had some phenomenal opportunities before I ever got to college," Nelson said.

After graduating from Austin ISD, Nelson attended the University of Texas at Austin.

"My mom worked for UT, my dad went to UT, it's kind of the school down the street. It's funny, my Dad would make fun of me because I didn't realize how big UT was because it was just the school that I had always, I mean, I'd been hanging out at UT my whole childhood," Nelson said.

In 1998, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UT.

"I applied to a couple of other schools, but ultimately, Austin just, UT was just the best deal around, and so I ended up sticking at home," Nelson said.

That same year, Nelson moved to Houston and joined NASA. She began working for the United Space Alliance as an International Space Station thermal operations and resources flight controller.

In May 2007, Nelson was selected as NASA’s 70th flight director and became the tenth woman to hold the title in the agency’s history. In May 2023, she was named deputy chief flight director. Nelson now leads the group directing human spaceflight missions from Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"I actually applied three times," Nelson said. "The third time was when I got selected."

Her role puts her at the forefront of the Artemis II mission, which is intended to pave the way for future flights aimed at ultimately returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in more than half a century.

What's next:

The Artemis II crew officially reached the halfway point in their journey today. Once they pass around the far side of the moon, the astronauts will begin their trek back to Earth. 

If all goes according to plan, they are expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean by Friday.