NASA Chief of Test, Launch and Recovery Operations, Jeremy Graeber, right, speaks to NASA Kennedy Space Center Director, Janet Petro, left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, center, and his wife Grace Nelson during a tour of Firing Room 3 at the Launch Control Center, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
NASA Chief of Test, Launch and Recovery Operations, Jeremy Graeber, left, speaks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, second from left, his wife Grace Nelson, center, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, second from right, and NASA Deputy Chief of Staff Casey Swails, right, at the Launch Control Center, Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (left) is briefed by Jeremy Graeber, chief of Test, Launch and Recovery Operations during a tour of the Firing Room of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Bridenstine made his first official visit to the Florida spaceport on Aug. 6 and 7, 2018.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (left) is briefed by Jeremy Graeber, chief of Test, Launch and Recovery Operations, during a tour of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Bridenstine made his first official visit to the Florida spaceport on Aug. 6 and 7, 2018.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, NASA Artemis launch director; and Jeremy Graeber, assistant Artemis launch director, monitor the terminal countdown simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room at the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (center) is briefed by Jeremy Graeber, chief of Test, Launch and Recovery Operations (left), and Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems program manager, during a tour of the Firing Room of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Bridenstine made his first official visit to the Florida spaceport on Aug. 6 and 7, 2018.
Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director, Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, participates in an emergency escape or egress demonstration simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. Other members of the closeout crew, pad rescue team, and the Exploration Ground Systems Program performed emergency egress demonstrations during a series of integrated system verification tests at Launch Pad 39B in preparation for the Artemis II launch.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, center left, NASA Artemis launch director; and Jeremy Graeber, center right, assistant Artemis launch director, along with members of the Artemis launch team participate in a terminal countdown simulation for Artemis II in Firing Room 1 inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (second from the left) is briefed by Jeremy Graeber, chief of Test, Launch and Recovery Operations (left), Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems program manager, (second from the right), and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, during a tour of the Firing Room of the Launch Control Center. Bridenstine made his first official visit to the Florida spaceport on Aug. 6 and 7, 2018.
Chief NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber, left, talks with members of the STS-88 crew inside the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 10, 2018. They are, from left, Commander Bob Cabana, and mission specialists Nancy Currie-Gregg, Jim Newman and Jerry Ross. Earlier in the day, the group held a panel discussion in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the mission.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, mission engineers take part in a countdown simulation for the upcoming Ares I-X flight test. Ares I-X is targeted for the test on Oct. 31. In the foreground is George Odom. Seen in the back is Jeremy Graeber. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, above, confers with Senior NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding, left, and Chief NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber in Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center during a countdown simulation for Exploration Mission 1. It was the agency's first simulation of a portion of the countdown for the first launch of a Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit to destinations such as the Moon and Mars.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover participate in an Artemis II pre-task briefing alongside NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, held in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The briefing allows teams to collaborate ahead of a series of integrated system verification and validation tests conducted at Kennedy to evaluate the readiness of the crew and ground equipment ahead of launch day.
From left, NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Manager Mike Bolger, Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, and Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson are photographed inside Firing Room 2 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a certification ceremony on Aug. 12, 2022. The ceremony was held to commemorate the certification of the Artemis I launch team following their launch simulation held in December 2021. During the ceremony, Bolger, Graeber, and Blackwell-Thompson handed out certificates to individual members of the launch team. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, left, and Assistant Artemis Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitor activities during the Artemis II terminal countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Members of the Artemis II launch team include personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs. This is part of a series of simulations to help the team prepare for the launch of Artemis II, the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.
Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (left) acknowledged and honored members of the Artemis team during the inaugural Artemis Launch Director Awards, held March 24, 2023, inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Award recipients included Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, who directly supports and assists Blackwell-Thompson during launch countdown operations. Artemis I launched successfully from Kennedy's Launch Pad 39B at 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, 2022.
From left, Jeremy Graeber, chief NASA test director, and Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis 1 launch director, participate in validation testing inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2019. The launch team includes personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and Jacobs Test and Operations Contract (TOSC). The simulation was designed to validate the firing room consoles and communications systems, as well as the new Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS), which will operate, monitor and coordinate ground equipment in preparation for Artemis 1, the uncrewed first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Jeremy Graeber, chief NASA test director, participates in validation testing inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2019. The Artemis 1 launch team includes personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and Jacobs Test and Operations Contract (TOSC). The simulation was designed to validate the firing room consoles and communications systems, as well as the new Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS), which will operate, monitor and coordinate ground equipment in preparation for Artemis 1, the uncrewed first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, left, and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber participate in a wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis I mission on April 14, 2022, inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The wet dress rehearsal is the final major test before launch and allows the launch team to run through all countdown operations prior to liftoff. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon.
Artemis teams conduct the final simulation for the Artemis I mission inside the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 4, 2022. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. During the flight, Orion will launch atop the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft for humans has ever flown. The spacecraft will stay in space longer than any human spacecraft has without docking to the International Space Station and return home faster than ever before. Shown here is Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber and Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson.
Jeremy Graeber, at left, assistant Artemis launch director, and Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, NASA Artemis launch director, participate in an Artemis II launch countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The simulations go through launch day scenarios to help launch team members test software and make adjustments if needed during countdown operations. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber helps lead a cryogenic propellant tanking demonstration inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 21, 2022. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, NASA Artemis launch director; and Jeremy Graeber, assistant Artemis launch director, monitor the first launch simulation for the Artemis II mission inside Firing Room at the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 20, 2023. A team of engineers with Exploration Ground Systems and Jacobs, are rehearsing the steps to launch NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II crewed mission. Artemis II will be the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of Orion’s systems needed for future crewed missions.
Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, center, is inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the inaugural Artemis I launch director awards and plaque ceremony on March 24, 2023. At left is Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director. At right is Wes Mosedale, technical assistant to the launch director. Following tradition from the Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs, the Artemis I plaque was added to the wall in Firing Room 1 by Blackwell-Thompson. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I launched successfully from Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B at 1:47 a.m. EST on Nov. 16, 2022.
Chief of the Test, Launch and Recovery Operations Branch within the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program Jeremy Graeber, (left) and Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (right), along with members of the Artemis I launch team, including personnel with EGS and contractor Jacobs, monitor activities during the ninth formal terminal countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 24, 2021. This is part of a series of simulations to help the team prepare for the launch of Artemis I, the uncrewed first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
Three specially designed, fully electric, environmentally friendly crew transportation vehicles for Artemis missions arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2023. One of the zero-emission vehicles is shown here at Launch Pad 39B. From left are Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director; Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director; and Tony Aquila, chairman and CEO, Canoo Technologies Inc.. The fleet, which will carry astronauts to Launch Complex 39B for Artemis missions, was delivered by the manufacturer, Canoo Technologies Inc. of Torrance, California.
Jeremy Graeber, left, chief of the Test, Launch, and Recovery Operations Branch within the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, speaks with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson inside the Launch Control Center (LCC) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 28, 2021. During Nelson’s visit to Kennedy, he had the opportunity to tour the LCC and learn about the launch team as preparations for Artemis I continue. The first in an increasingly complex set of missions, Artemis I will test SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, as well as establish a sustainable presence on and around the Moon.
Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director within NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, participates in an Artemis II launch countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The simulations go through launch day scenarios to help launch team members test software and make adjustments if needed during countdown operations. Artemis II is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step toward missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human missions to Mars.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Control Center, NASA's Ares I-X mission engineers (from front) George Odom, Jeremy Graeber, Roberta Wyrick and Rudy Tench monitor data in the firing room as the rocket undergoes its first power-up. Part of the Constellation Program, the Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is the essential core of a space transportation system that eventually will carry crewed missions back to the moon, on to Mars and out into the solar system. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, left, and Assistant Artemis Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitor activities during the Artemis II terminal countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Members of the Artemis II launch team include personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems and contractor Jacobs. This is part of a series of simulations to help the team prepare for the launch of Artemis II, the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA test directors, from left, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Steve Payne and Jeremy Graeber, and Orbiter Test Conductor Teresa Annulis, watch space shuttle Atlantis lift off on its STS-132 mission to the International Space Station through the windows of Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch was on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT. STS-132 is the 132nd shuttle flight, the 32nd for Atlantis and the 34th shuttle mission dedicated to station assembly and maintenance. For more information on the STS-132 mission objectives, payload and crew, visit www.nasa.gov_mission_pages_shuttle_shuttlemissions_sts132_index.html. Photo credit: NASA_Kim Shiflett
Assistant Artemis Launch Director Jeremy Graeber (left) and NASA Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson monitor activities during the launch day demonstration for one of the Artemis II integrated ground systems tests inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Sept. 20. This is part of a series of tests to ensure the ground systems team is ready to support the crew timeline on launch day. Artemis II is the first mission with astronauts under Artemis that will test and check out all of the Orion spacecraft’s systems needed for future crewed missions.
Jeremy Graeber, chief NASA test director, participates in validation testing inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 11, 2019. The Artemis 1 launch team includes personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and Jacobs Test and Operations Contract (TOSC). The simulation was designed to validate the firing room consoles and communications systems, as well as the new Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS), which will operate, monitor and coordinate ground equipment in preparation for Artemis 1, the uncrewed first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
From left, Artemis II backup crew members, NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jenni Gibbons, speak to Jeremy Graeber, assistant launch director, for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems during a visit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. In the background is the Orion Environmental Test Article spacecraft which was flown around the Moon and back during Artemis I on Nov. 16, 2022. Orion will carry four astronauts around the Moon and back during the Artemis II mission.
Chief of the Test, Launch and Recovery Operations Branch within the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program Jeremy Graeber monitors activities during the ninth formal terminal countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 24, 2021. Members of the Artemis I launch team include personnel with EGS and contractor Jacobs. This is part of a series of simulations to help the team prepare for the launch of Artemis I, the uncrewed first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
From left, Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director Exploration Ground Systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida; NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, Artemis II backup crew member; Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program at Kennedy Space Center; and Artemis II NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander, look at the emergency egress basket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA Kennedy on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, left, launch director for Artemis 1, and Jeremy Graeber, right, chief NASA test director, monitor activities during the first formal terminal countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 12, 2019. This was the first in a series of simulations to help the members of the launch team, including personnel with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) and Jacobs Test and Operations Contract (TOSC), prepare for the launch of Artemis 1, the uncrewed first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test by Jeremy Graeber, Orion Recovery Director in Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director within NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, participates in an Artemis II launch countdown simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. The simulations go through launch day scenarios to help launch team members test software and make adjustments if needed during countdown operations. For Artemis II, four astronauts will venture around the Moon, the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration through Artemis.
NASA’s Test, Launch and Recovery Operations Branch Chief Jeremy Graeber, who also serves as the assistant launch director, participates in Artemis I launch countdown training on Feb. 3, 2020, inside the Kennedy Space Center’s Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center. Under the leadership of Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, a team of nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems came together to work through a series of simulated challenges, as well as a final countdown procedure. During these exercises, different issues were introduced to familiarize the team with launch day operations, while providing them with an opportunity to practice how they would handle those issues in real-time. Artemis I will be the first integrated test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket – the system that will ultimately land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitors countdown activities inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitors his console during launch countdown activities inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, monitors data inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a cryogenic propellant tanking demonstration on Sept. 21, 2022. At right is Wes Mosedale, technical assistant to the launch director. Behind them is Jeremy Graeber, Artemis I assistant launch director. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test by Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager. Also participating in the news conference are Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, center, and Jeremy Graeber, Orion Recovery Director in Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
Jeremy Graeber, NASA’s Test, Launch and Recovery Operations branch chief, who also serves as the assistant launch director, participates in an Artemis I launch countdown training simulation inside the Launch Control Center’s Firing Room 1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Under the leadership of Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, a team of nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems came together Feb. 3, 2020, to work through a series of simulated challenges, as well as a final countdown procedure. During these exercises, different issues were introduced to familiarize the team with launch day operations, while providing them with an opportunity to practice how they would handle those issues in real-time. Artemis I will be the first integrated test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket – the system that will ultimately land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
From left, Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Technical Assistant to the Launch Director Wes Mosedale, and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber are photographed inside Firing Room 2 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a certification ceremony on Aug. 12, 2022. The ceremony was held to commemorate the certification of the Artemis I launch team following their launch simulation held in December 2021. During the ceremony, management staff handed out certificates to individual team members. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitors launch countdown events inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sept. 3, 2022. Launch of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Kennedy’ Launch Complex 39B was waved off due to an issue during tanking. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, monitor launch countdown activities inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
From left, Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber, monitor launch countdown events inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 29, 2022. Launch of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft was waved off due to an issue during tanking. Launch is now no earlier than Sept. 3, at 2:17 p.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitors countdown activities inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Launch Complex 39B was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, standing, NASA Artemis launch director; and Jeremy Graeber, chief of the Test, Launch and Recovery Operations Branch within Exploration Ground Systems (EGS), monitor a cryogenic propellant loading simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center on Nov. 2, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A team of engineers with EGS and Jacobs, members of the cryogenics launch team, are rehearsing the steps to load the super-cooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System’s (SLS) core and second stages to prepare for Artemis I. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will test the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System as an integrated system ahead of crewed flights to the Moon. NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test by Jeremy Graeber, Orion Recovery Director in Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy. Also participating in the news conference are Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, left, and Ron Fortson, United Launch Alliance director of Mission Management. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test by Jeremy Graeber, Orion Recovery Director in Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
From left, Jeremy Graeber, chief NASA test director; Jessica Parsons, technical assistant to the launch director; and Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) launch director, participate in a countdown demonstration event of cryogenic propellant loading April 12, 2019, inside Firing Room 2 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The practice simulation involved loading of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System rocket’s core and upper stages to prepare for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). During the tanking exercise, the team worked through surprise issues in real-time. The practice countdown events are training opportunities coordinated by Blackwell-Thompson with Exploration Ground Systems.
Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitors launch countdown events inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Aug. 29, 2022. Launch of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft was waved off due to an issue during tanking. Launch is now no earlier than Sept. 3, at 2:17 p.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test by Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager. Also participating in the news conference are Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, center, and Jeremy Graeber, Orion Recovery Director in Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test by Jeremy Graeber, Orion Recovery Director in Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy. Also participating in the news conference are Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, left, and Ron Fortson, United Launch Alliance director of Mission Management. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
From left, Jeremy Graeber, chief NASA test director; Jessica Parsons, technical assistant to the launch director; and Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) launch director, participate in a countdown demonstration event of cryogenic propellant loading April 12, 2019, inside Firing Room 2 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The practice simulation involved loading of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the Space Launch System rocket’s core and upper stages to prepare for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). During the tanking exercise, the team worked through surprise issues in real-time. The practice countdown events are training opportunities coordinated by Blackwell-Thompson with Exploration Ground Systems.
Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at right, monitors data inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a cryogenic propellant tanking demonstration on Sept. 21, 2022. Seated at his console is Wes Mosedale, technical assistant to the launch director. At left is Jeremy Graeber, Artemis I assistant launch director. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Cliff Lanham, fourth from left, ground operations manager with Exploration Ground Systems (EGS), passes the baton to Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis I launch director, inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 16, 2022. Joining them from left, are Stacey Bagg, Matt Czech, and Liliana Villareal, with EGS. Next to Blackwell-Thomson are Jeremy Graeber, deputy launch director, and Teresa Annulis. The Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion will make the trek to Launch Complex 39B for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of launch atop the crawler-transporter 2. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of the SLS and Orion spacecraft. In later missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a steppingstone on the way to Mars.
Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at left, performs the traditional cutting of the tie for Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber after the successful liftoff of NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39B on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff was at 1:47 a.m. EST. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
Jeremy Graeber, Artemis assistant launch director within NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, participates in the first joint integrated launch countdown simulation for Artemis II inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The training exercise involved engineers from Kennedy, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Johnson Space Center in Houston coming together to rehearse all aspects of the launch countdown, from cryogenic loading – filling tanks in the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen – to liftoff. These simulations will help certify that the launch team is ready for Artemis II – the first crewed Artemis mission that will send four astronauts around the Moon and back.
From left, NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Deputy Manager Jeremy Parsons, EGS Manager Mike Bolger, Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, and Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber are photographed inside Firing Room 2 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a certification ceremony on Aug. 12, 2022. The ceremony was held to commemorate the certification of the Artemis I launch team following their launch simulation held in December 2021. During the ceremony, management staff handed out certificates to individual team members. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber (foreground) and Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (background) monitor operations from their positions in Firing Room 1 as Artemis teams conduct a launch simulation for the Artemis I mission inside the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 27, 2022. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by launching Orion atop the SLS rocket, operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. During the flight, Orion will launch atop the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exploration and demonstrating our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond.
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test. From left are: Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs, Bill Hill, NASA deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development, Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager, Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, Jeremy Graeber, Operations Integration Branch of Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy, and Ron Fortson, United Launch Alliance director of Mission Management. Mike Sarafin, NASA's lead flight director, participated by video from the Johnson Space Center. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA managers brief media about the payload and launch status of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Seen here are Public Affairs Officer Candrea Thomas, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber, Payload Mission Manager Joe Delai and Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters (obscured). Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test. From left are: Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs, Bill Hill, NASA deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development, Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager, Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, Jeremy Graeber, Operations Integration Branch of Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy, and Ron Fortson, United Launch Alliance director of Mission Management. Mike Sarafin, NASA's lead flight director, participated by video from the Johnson Space Center. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- At Naval Base San Diego in California, NASA Recovery Director Jeremy Graeber, right, talks to the commanding officer of the USS Anchorage as members of the news media prepare for viewing of NASA's Orion spacecraft being offloaded from the well deck of the ship. Orion has been secured in its crew module recovery cradle and will be prepared for return to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After lifting off at 7:05 a.m. EST on Dec. 5 atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Orion completed a two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission to test systems critical to crew safety, including the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. NASA, the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin coordinated efforts to recover Orion after splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is led the recovery efforts. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion Photo credit: NASA/Amber Philman
Jeremy Graeber, NASA’s Test, Launch and Recovery Operations branch chief, who also serves as the assistant launch director, participates in an Artemis I launch countdown training simulation inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the background is Jessica Parsons, the technical assistant to Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson. The training involved nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems coming together on Feb. 3, 2020, to work through a series of simulated challenges, as well as a final countdown procedure. During these exercises, different issues were introduced to familiarize the team with launch day operations, while providing them with an opportunity to practice how they would handle those issues in real-time. Artemis I will be the first integrated test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket – the system that will ultimately land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber monitors operations from his position in Firing Room 1 as Artemis teams conduct a launch simulation for the Artemis I mission inside the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 27, 2022. Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by launching Orion atop the SLS rocket, operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown. During the flight, Orion will launch atop the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any human-rated spacecraft has ever flown, paving the way for human deep space exploration and demonstrating our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond.
Jeff Spaulding, left, NASA test director, and NASA’s Test, Launch and Recovery Operations Branch Chief Jeremy Graeber, who also serves as the assistant launch director, participate in an Artemis I launch countdown simulation inside the Launch Control Center’s Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Under the leadership of Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, a team of nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems came together Feb. 3, 2020, to work through a series of simulated challenges, as well as a final countdown procedure. During these exercises, different issues were introduced to familiarize the team with launch day operations, while providing them with an opportunity to practice how they would handle those issues in real-time. Artemis I will be the first integrated test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket – the system that will ultimately land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
NASA Orion Recovery Director Jeremy Graeber, with the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reviews Orion recovery procedures with NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel aboard the USS Anchorage at Naval Base San Diego in California. Before the launch of Orion on its first flight test atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy personnel will head out to sea in the USS Anchorage and the USNS Salvor, a salvage ship, and wait for splashdown of the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean. The GSDO Program will lead the recovery efforts. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA managers brief media about the payload and launch status of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Seen here are Public Affairs Officer Candrea Thomas, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber, Payload Mission Manager Joe Delai and Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters (obscured). Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson (left) stands at the launch console inside the Launch Control Center’s Firing Room 1 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a countdown simulation. Next to her are Jessica Parsons, technical assistant to the launch director, and Jeremy Graeber, NASA’s Test, Launch and Recovery Operations branch chief, who also serves as the assistant launch director. A team of nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems coming together on Feb. 3, 2020, to work through a series of simulated challenges, as well as a final countdown procedure. During these exercises, different issues were introduced to familiarize the team with launch day operations, while providing them with an opportunity to practice how they would handle those issues in real-time. Artemis I will be the first integrated test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket – the system that will ultimately land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch controllers wave their STS-135 shuttle launch team member flags and cheer in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center following the successful launch of space shuttle Atlantis from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the foreground, from left, are NASA Test Directors Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Jeremy Graeber, and Jeff Spaulding; Orbiter Test Conductor Roberta Wyrick; and Assistant Orbiter Test Conductor Laurie Sally. Atlantis began its final flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, at 11:29 a.m. EDT on July 8. STS-135 will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. Atlantis also is flying the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Team members stationed at consoles in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida monitor space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank as it is loaded with more than 535,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants. From left, are STS-133 Assistant NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber and STS-133 NASA Test Director Steve Payne. During today's tanking test, the team is paying particular attention to the external tank's ribbed intertank region. Beginning tomorrow, engineers will evaluate data on 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, and the newly replaced ground umbilical carrier plate (GUCP). Discovery's first launch attempt for STS-133 was scrubbed in early November due to a hydrogen gas leak at the GUCP. In order to perform additional analysis on the tank, Discovery will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, a move that is planned for next week. The next launch opportunity is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test. From left are: Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs, Bill Hill, NASA deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development, Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager, Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, Jeremy Graeber, Operations Integration Branch of Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy, and Ron Fortson, United Launch Alliance director of Mission Management. Mike Sarafin, NASA's lead flight director, participated by video from the Johnson Space Center. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, at left, talks to Jeremy Graeber, NASA Recovery director for Exploration Flight Test-1 Landing and Recovery Operations, on the deck of the USS Anchorage during Orion Underway Recovery Test 3. The Orion boilerplate test vehicle is in the Pacific Ocean with U.S. Navy divers nearby in Zodiac boats and rigid hull inflatable boats during recovery operations. NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel are conducting the test to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module on its return from a deep space mission. The test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in open waters. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is conducting the underway recovery tests. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted test flight of Orion is scheduled to launch in 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA managers brief media about the payload and launch status of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. From left are NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber, Payload Mission Manager Joe Delai and Shuttle Weather Officer Kathy Winters. Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
NASA dignitaries and launch team members gather inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after the successful launch of the agency’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft on Nov. 16, 2022. Liftoff from Launch Complex 39B was at 1:47 a.m. EST. From left, are Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson; Bob Cabana, NASA associate administrator; NASA Administrator Bill Nelson; Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro; former space shuttle Launch Director Bob Sieck; NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy; Mike Bolger, Exploration Ground Systems manager; former space shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach; and Artemis I Assistant Launch Director Jeremy Graeber. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human presence to the Moon and beyond. The primary goal of Artemis I is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion’s heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – NASA Orion Recovery Director Jeremy Graeber, with the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reviews Orion recovery procedures with NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel aboard the USS Anchorage at Naval Base San Diego in California. Before the launch of Orion on its first flight test atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA, Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy personnel will head out to sea in the USS Anchorage and the USNS Salvor, a salvage ship, and wait for splashdown of the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean. The GSDO Program will lead the recovery efforts. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
Members of the Artemis I launch team are photographed inside Firing Room 1 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prior to a certification ceremony on Aug. 12, 2022. From left are Laurie Sally, Space Launch System (SLS) test conductor; Josh Waters, assistant ground test conductor; Wes Mosedale, technical assistant to the launch director; Jeremy Graeber, assistant launch director; Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, launch director; Jeff Spaulding, senior NASA test director; Danny Zeno, NASA test director; Lucas Vojak, assistant Orion test conductor; and Terry Woxberg, Orion test conductor. The ceremony was held to commemorate the certification of the Artemis I launch team following their launch simulation held in December 2021. During the ceremony, senior members of the launch team handed out certificates to individual team members. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Team members stationed at consoles in the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida monitor space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank as it is loaded with more than 535,000 gallons of cryogenic propellants. From back, are Assistant Launch Orbiter Test Conductor Mark Taffet, Launch Orbiter Test Conductor John Kracsun, STS-133 NASA Test Director Steve Payne, NASA Commentator Allard Beutel, NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber and STS-133 Assistant NASA Test Director Jeff Spaulding. During today's tanking test, the team is paying particular attention to the external tank's ribbed intertank region. Beginning tomorrow, engineers will evaluate data on 21-foot-long, U-shaped aluminum brackets, called stringers, and the newly replaced ground umbilical carrier plate (GUCP). Discovery's first launch attempt for STS-133 was scrubbed in early November due to a hydrogen gas leak at the GUCP. In order to perform additional analysis on the tank, Discovery will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, a move that is planned for next week. The next launch opportunity is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011. For more information on STS-133, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts133/. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
Members of the Artemis I launch team are photographed inside Firing Room 2 of the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a certification ceremony on Aug. 12, 2022. In the middle is Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson. Behind her to the left is Mike Bolger, manager of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems, and to her right is Jeremy Graeber, assistant launch director. The ceremony was held to commemorate the certification of the Artemis I launch team following their launch simulation held in December 2021. During the ceremony, senior members of the launch team handed out certificates to individual team members. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I will test NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface, paving the way for long-term lunar presence and using the Moon as a steppingstone before venturing to Mars.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site auditorium, members of the news media are briefed on the upcoming Orion flight test. From left are: Rachel Kraft, NASA Public Affairs, Bill Hill, NASA deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development, Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager, Bryan Austin, Lockheed Martin mission manager, Jeremy Graeber, Operations Integration Branch of Ground Systems Development and Operations at Kennedy, and Ron Fortson, United Launch Alliance director of Mission Management. Mike Sarafin, NASA's lead flight director, participated by video from the Johnson Space Center. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch Dec. 4, 2014 atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/orion Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Press Site auditorium at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA managers brief media about the payload and launch status of space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission to the International Space Station. Seen here is NASA Test Director Jeremy Graeber. Atlantis and its crew are scheduled to lift off at 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8 to deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts to the station. The STS-135 mission also will fly a system to investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites and return a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 will be the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information visit, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
Jeremy Graeber, NASA’s Test, Launch and Recovery Operations branch chief, who also serves as the assistant launch director, participates in an Artemis I launch countdown rehearsal inside Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the background is Jessica Parsons (front), the technical assistant to the launch director, and Artemis I Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson. The training involved nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems coming together on Feb. 3, 2020, to work through a series of simulated challenges, as well as a final countdown procedure. During these exercises, different issues were introduced to familiarize the team with launch day operations, while providing them with an opportunity to practice how they would handle those issues in real-time. Artemis I will be the first integrated test flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket – the system that will ultimately land the first woman and the next man on the Moon.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – NASA Orion Recovery Director Jeremy Graeber, with the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reviews Orion recovery procedures with NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel aboard the USS Anchorage at Naval Base San Diego in California. Before the launch of Orion on its first flight test atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel will head out to sea in the USS Anchorage and the USNS Salvor, a salvage ship, and wait for splashdown of the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean. The GSDO Program will lead the recovery efforts. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion. Photo credit: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
NASA Orion Recovery Director Jeremy Graeber, with the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reviews Orion recovery procedures with NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel aboard the USS Anchorage at Naval Base San Diego in California. Before the launch of Orion on its first flight test atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, NASA, Lockheed Martin and U.S. Navy personnel will head out to sea in the USS Anchorage and the USNS Salvor, a salvage ship, and wait for splashdown of the Orion crew module in the Pacific Ocean. The GSDO Program will lead the recovery efforts. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. The first unpiloted flight test of Orion is scheduled to launch in December atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket and in 2018 on NASA’s Space Launch System rocket.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Launch controllers wave their STS-135 shuttle launch team member flags and cheer in Firing Room 4 of the Launch Control Center following the successful launch of space shuttle Atlantis from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the foreground, from left, are NASA Test Directors Steve Payne and Bob Holl; Landing and Recovery Director Greg Gaddis; Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach; Atlantis' NASA Flow Director Angie Brewer; NASA Test Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson; STS-135 Launch Commentator George Diller; NASA Test Directors Jeremy Graeber, Tim Potter, and Jeff Spaulding; Orbiter Test Conductor Roberta Wyrick; Assistant Orbiter Test Conductor Laurie Sally; Assistant Launch Director Pete Nickolenko; United Space Alliance Vice President of Launch and Recovery Systems Mark Nappi; and United Space Alliance Test Conductor Mark Paxton. Atlantis began its final flight, the STS-135 mission to the International Space Station, at 11:29 a.m. EDT on July 8. STS-135 will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. Atlantis also is flying the Robotic Refueling Mission experiment that will investigate the potential for robotically refueling existing satellites in orbit. In addition, Atlantis will return with a failed ammonia pump module to help NASA better understand the failure mechanism and improve pump designs for future systems. STS-135 is the 33rd flight of Atlantis, the 37th shuttle mission to the space station, and the 135th and final mission of NASA's Space Shuttle Program. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts135/index.html. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett