On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, Jessica Parsons, right, technical assistant to the Artemis 1 launch director, talks with a member of the Apollo 11 launch team in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, at right, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) launch director, leads 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. Seated next to her is Jessica Parsons, technical assitant to the launch director. 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 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.

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.

Jessica Parsons, the technical assistant to Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, participates in Artemis I launch countdown training inside the Launch Control Center’s Firing Room 1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On Feb. 3, 2020, a team of nearly 100 engineers from Orion, Space Launch System (SLS) and the agency’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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

This group photo of the LPSA interns and trip leaders was taken at Tea Kettle Junction in Death Valley, Calif. (Standing on left side, left to right): Kristopher Schwebler, Valerie Fox, Emily Kopp, Kyle Yawn, Dan Burger, Ian Schoch, Devon Miller; (left to right, sitting) Justin Wilde, Jessica Marbourg, Maggie McAdam (a trip leader), Leva McIntire, Ann Parsons (a trip leader), Mindy Krzykowski, Emma McKinney, Cynthia Cheung (LPSA principal investigator and a trip leader), George Fercana; (standing on right side): Kynan Rilee, Gregory Romine, Clint Naquin, Gunther Kletetschka (a trip leader), Andrew Ryan, and in the very back, Brian Jackson (a trip leader). Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/ Leva McIntire/LPSA intern To read a feature story on the Racetrack Playa go to: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/roving-rocks.html" rel="nofollow">www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/roving-rocks.html</a> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASA_GoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a><b></b></b>