Ep401_Artemis_II_Launch

Ep401_Artemis II Launch Joseph Zakrzewski Houston We Have a Podcast. Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, Episode 401: Artemis II: Launch. I'm Joseph Zakrzewski, and I'll be your host for this episode. On this podcast, we bring in the experts, scientists, engineers, and astronauts, all to let you know what's going on in the world of human spaceflight and more. The Artemis II mission will be the first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis program, a bold step forward in our journey back to the moon and beyond. Four astronauts, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, will orbit the moon and test key systems needed for future lunar landings. But before those astronauts leave Earth. They need someone at the helm of the launch, someone to lead the team at Kennedy Space Center and announce that final go. That role belongs to Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, NASA's Artemis launch director. She made history in that role for Artemis one, and she's back for this second flight, guiding the team toward another powerful launch on the Space Launch System rocket. Charlie's NASA career spans over 30 years, launching shuttles, leading countdown operations, and now preparing to send astronauts on their first journey to the moon in over 50 years. We're excited to have her here today to talk about her path to the launch console and what to expect as we get closer to Artemis II. Let's get started. Joseph Zakrzewski Hello, Charlie, thank you so much for coming on Houston We Have a Podcast today. It's great to see you. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Hey, it's great to be here. Joseph Zakrzewski Well, the excitement continues to build as we grow closer and closer to Artemis II happening right around the corner. It feels like but for you and a chance to really get to catch up with you. Let's start at the beginning of your journey and how you became the launch director for Artemis II and Artemis I, as we kind of dive back into your past, where did your passion for space and engineering begin, and where did that make those initial influences on you? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Well, those initial influences, both for my interest in space and exploration and engineering, actually started in school. I can remember being in the first and second grade and watching the final moon landings of the Apollo program and watching our astronauts on the surface of the moon. And, you know, I'm going to date myself a little bit here, but I can remember with my classmates, when they would bring the TV in on a cart, it was a big deal and so I can recall just that, that curiosity, that excitement of watching those Apollo missions with my classmates. And so that's really where my interest in space started so it was back in grade school. Engineering was a similar kind of experience. I wasn't sure I was that kid who wasn't sure what she wanted to study when she went away to college, and I had an incredible physics teacher who asked me one day in high school, what I was going to study when I went away to school, and I said, I don't know. And he said, you know, you ought to think about engineering. And so he planted that seed, and I did think about engineering. I decided not only was I going to think about it, but I was going to apply to the engineering school as part of my college experience, as part of my college application, and that's what I did, and that's how I ended up in engineering. And it absolutely was a great fit for me, and I feel so indebted to that teacher for encouraging me to consider it way back when I was 16, 17 years old. Joseph Zakrzewski And that's a fantastic story. You always know at school, it's a good day when you see the TV cart come rolling in, but to have those individuals influence you along the path, and that was going to be another thought I had too. It was who were those encouraging voices that came to you, or those influences you mentioned your teacher. But what was, what was it like growing up knowing that that was a passion, that was a spark that was ignited within you, and the support and the team around you always helps build that up. Did you have other influences like that growing up as a kid that helped push you down the path to eventually joining NASA? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson I absolutely did. I've been really blessed in my life to have a ton of influences along the way. I mean, they start at home, with my family. You know, I grew up and my parents taught me the value of hard work, and that if you were willing to work hard for something, that there was no limits to what you could achieve. And because I had that, I, that was a core belief that I had. So, you know, when I went off to engineering school, and you're studying and things are challenging, I mean, I believed I just have to, I have to work hard. I can push through it. I can, you know, there's nothing I can't do if I'm determined. And that's something that I try to pass on to others today, when I'm when I mentor young people. Is that same sentiment, but it absolutely started at home with encouragement and support from my mom and dad and this belief that they instilled in me, that you can chase after your dreams as long as you're willing to work for them, nothing is impossible. Joseph Zakrzewski And that's such a beautiful message, especially now as we're talking about Artemis II and the return to the Moon and everything that comes with it in the future of human space flight. And I feel like we're in that same cusp where there's a lot of young people, a lot of young students looking at these opportunities and seeing, you know, a young Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, like yourself when you saw the Apollo missions, similar to what they're experiencing now, to missions the International Space Station, and then now on to the Artemis II launch coming up here too, and also Artemis I, not to mention, but for you now, what were some of those early moments in your career that stand out to you that still make a great impact, because as a young person with that dream of joining NASA and dream of entering human spaceflight and its capabilities, I'd imagine when you arrived at NASA, the playing field was vast, and there were so many opportunities for you to dive in and make an impact. What still sticks with you, what still resonates with you today, as you get ready for something as key as Artemis II? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Well, I'll tell you, the very first time I came to Kennedy Space Center, it was for a job interview. So I was getting ready to graduate with my engineering degree, I had interviewed for a job here at Kennedy and on campus, and then I got a plant trip to come down. And as part of that plant trip, I did another set of interviews, and you got to visit different facilities, and the facility, or one of the facilities that I went in, was Firing Room One, and when I walked in, they were preparing Space Shuttle Discovery for return to flight after the Challenger accident, and so they let me sit down. They let me put a headset on. I got to listen to some of the talk on the net. And when I walked in that room, it made a lasting impression on me. I knew in that moment I want to work in this firing room. I want to have a place in this room one day. And it became crystal clear to me, you know, all of those experience- You know how sometimes in life, you can look back at these different single events that are linked together. You know the my first link to space and moon missions was as a school girl, and then you know this engineering link of this teacher who encouraged me to think about engineering. And now here I am a young woman getting ready to graduate with my engineering degree. And somehow I get lucky enough to get a plant trip to Kennedy Space Center, and I get to walk into Firing Room One. And in that moment of standing in Firing Room One and someone saying, this is the console that our team sits at, and if you end up taking this job or getting this job one day, you may be able to sit in the seat right here. And that is something that has never been lost on me. I've been here for 30 years, that memory is as clear, and that feeling that I had on that day I have every single day I walk into the firing room, it is not lost on me. I remember what that young, 22 year old woman felt and I feel it's still today, and it's also it's very interesting that that was Firing Room One. We were getting spatial discovery ready to to for return to flight. Today we launched Artemis from that very same firing room. It looks different. The furniture is different, but it is that same exact firing room that I walked in over 30 years ago. Joseph Zakrzewski Wow. And that sounds incredible, especially when you when you enter that space and you still get those same emotional connections, those same physical connections and that was going to be my next question. It was. What was it like in those early days of the shuttle program? And you mentioned a pretty key moment in the program joining when they were getting shuttle Discovery ready for its return to flight mission. But from that point on to where you are today, what were some of those moments that you got to experience, whether in that firing room or outside of it, that that helped shape your path to the Artemis campaign? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Yeah, absolutely. So I ended up, I was, I got the job, and that job was working in payloads that flew on board the shuttle. And so it is, your International Space Station assembly elements, your Space Lab missions, your great observatories, your planetary mission. Every single payload was different, and I love that work. My work was to help integrate the flight hardware. It was to test the Command and Data Handling system. It was then we got to come to the space shuttle. When the payload hardware would get installed in the payload bay, we would do all of the test and the checkout with the flight software, with the avionics command data handling system, make sure everything was going to work as we flew the mission. And what I loved about it was every single mission was different. Some used similar or the same orbiter interfaces, but not all and every hardware, every piece of hardware, was different. Its mission was different. It might be a planetary mission that you're working on, and then that mission flies, and six months later, you may be working on an International Space Station assembly element or a Space Lab mission, or maybe a Hubble Space Telescope or one of its servicing missions. So I thought when I was working in payloads, which I did for a really long time, about 16 years, I thought I had the greatest job in the entire world, because every single flight, every single mission, was different and and, and that was exciting. Joseph Zakrzewski And it makes coming to work every day exciting when every hour, every day, every mission presents something new and exciting and challenging and something to look forward to and build towards. And speaking of build towards, when you became launch director, it was a historical moment for you, for NASA, when you made your way from the journey beginning as a little girl in school to becoming a launch director and being in that firing room. What did that mean to you, personally, professionally? How did that, how did that resonate with you in in all areas of your life? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Well, in some ways, you know, I remember the day that I was offered the job, and, you know, I talked about my work and payloads, and I left that that role in payloads to go work in the NASA Test Director office in about the 2004 timeframe and so the NASA Test Director was responsible for a lot of the execution of the launch countdown on behalf of the launch director. And so you hear the NASA Test Director, the NTD’s voice quite a bit on the net during the shuttle launches. And then the same is true for the Artemis launches as well. And so I had an opportunity to do that for a number of years until the the end of the shuttle program came. And so I knew that I wanted to, one day take that experience and apply it or help others build toward a new capability. I remember the day I was offered the job, and you know, your first, your first thought is, I get a phone call. I'm asked if I want to be the launch director for Artemis, and my first thought is “Yes, oh my goodness, this is like an opportunity of a lifetime.” And then your next thought is, yes, I want- Yes, but it is, it's, there's a huge responsibility and it's a, it's a big job to go do, especially in the timeframe that that that offer was made to me. And what I mean by that is that, you know, we were just starting to lay out, what does this launch countdown look like? How long is it, you know, what all do we you know, what's the timelines? What are the procedures? We got to build the team. How big is the team? It was all of that. It really was, you know, forming this from the ground up. And so for me personally, it was a wonderful opportunity to help put a capability in place, something that someone else could come and build upon. You know, it can change or morph over time, but it really was about establishing a solid foundation. And there was something hugely appealing to me in that, you know, to be a part of that. Joseph Zakrzewski You get to leave your mark, make that thumbprint on the on the campaign, the program, everything from the very beginning that's incredible. Kind of walk us through, what's it like to be in the launch director's position, especially during a countdown, knowing you know everything that you've built into this and moving forward. What, what are those emotions that that you feel when you're standing in that in that firing room? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson You know it's a mix of emotions. To get to launch, you have to have completed all of your vehicle integration, your tests, your checkout, your roll out to the pad, your validation. Once you get to the pad, any testing. And So it takes a lot of work to get to launch day, and it takes hard work and dedication by a large group of people, not just those sitting in Firing Room One, but folks that have contributed to the integration of this hardware, the test of this hardware. They may work at a different NASA center, they may work at a supplier site, but everybody has a hand in getting us to the point of launch. And so there's a sense of pride that comes with that, but there's also a healthy respect for the work that is ahead, because launch can sometimes be challenging. There can be problems that you have to resolve. There can be, you know, you may get behind on your timeline. You may have to to, you know, figure out a way to, are we going to be able to make up that time? Are we going to eat launch window? They're all different things that you have to take into consideration, and on this flight, in particular, with our flight crew, you know, is there anything that that crew related that we need to think about? Do we have a problem that would cause us to want to egress the crew, or that could affect the crew, and so there's a healthy respect for all of those things. And I would just say, you know, it's not the work of a single person, but is really the work of the team. And so the team inspires me every single day in their hard work and their dedication and their calling to this mission. So it's a whole lot of emotions on launch day, and yet, there's a part that is in the because of the way in which you train and the way in which you resolve issues and disposition issues and define your launch commit criteria, which are your Go, No Go rules. There's a part of it that is this. I don't want to say it doesn't have a motion to it, but, but it is the train like you fly, and so because you've gone through these, these problems in these scenarios as part of your training, you know you're there to execute. Joseph Zakrzewski Wow and that, to hear that, and I've heard from so many that it, it is the ultimate team sport. Human Space Flight is the ultimate team sport, no matter where. Whether you make your impacts known, whether you like you said, whether you're in the room itself, or you're the part of the team in the back room, or going all the way back from initial design and concepts. To hear you say that, and know that it's been wonderful to see in my time here at NASA too. And I know a lot of people that have been listening to this podcast and hearing the special guests that have come through, especially leading up to Artemis II really resonate with that, but as a part of a team, and I was going to save this for later, but I would love to kind of to hear from you, as a part of a team, there are a lot of shared experiences, and there's a lot of team building that goes into that. And I understand when it comes to Artemis and Artemis launches, that you have a special color that you like to associate with the launch experience and with that team. Because you know, as you think of that team and every contribution that those you know, teams and groups and individuals make at the same time, there's nothing in my mind, nothing more galvanizing than when you have a uniformed, shared experience across all bodies that can experience it together, especially on a momentous occasion, like, like an Artemis launch. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Yes, and you know, you talked about it being a team sport, and that's exactly how I see it. And we actually talk about that within my launch team, within our launch team, as we're planning. You know, one of my favorite quotes is from Miracle on Ice and, and it's, and I'll probably mess it up a little bit, but essentially it's “We don't play for the name on the back of our jersey. We play for the name on the front.” And the name on the front of our jersey says “Artemis.” And so our team plays for Artemis. And I see that every single day. And we all have different things within the within the firing room. You talked about traditions or things that we do. So I have one. It's called Green, Green for Go, and it started back in shuttle. And actually today I have on four green bracelets. And so they're just very inexpensive little beaded bracelets that I put on. It is my symbol. It's my symbol to myself. It's my symbol to my team that when I slide that bracelet on every morning, it is my way of saying I am all in. I am here to give it my all and it's my outward symbol to my team that I'm all in, and I know they're all in with me. And so Green for Go is, is a big tradition with major and Artemis I, you know, we had a few challenges along the way, and as we had a challenge, I would put another bracelet on again for the same reason. You know, not only am I all in, but I'm even more determined than ever. And so by the time we launched, I think I had eight on my arm. I've since retired that set of bracelets. But absolutely everybody, we have different traditions within the room, but that is absolutely one that that is mine. Joseph Zakrzewski It's that visual, that quiet confidence, that quiet professionalism that you bring to the launch director seat, that it can go without saying, but if somebody were to see, you know those launch bracelets, they know that if she's in it, I'm in it, and if I'm in it, the partner next to me is and it just creates a positive chain reaction that you want to have in a team setting. So I would not be surprised if there are more people come closer to Artemis II launches that are going to be wearing green, myself included. As we get ready for for Artemis II launch. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson I welcome all! Everyone bring your green! Let's go! Go Artemis! Joseph Zakrzewski I love it. Well, let's talk about Artemis II and the launch readiness that it takes to get prepared. We, we've, we've covered a lot of what needs to happen in order to get to that moment where it is go for launch. What makes in your mind this mission unique from your perspective, for Artemis II? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Oh, it's all about the crew. I mean, it is all about the crew for me, and not taking a thing away from Artemis I, you know, these are stepping stones on building a capability to return us to the lunar surface, to take what we learned from the lunar surface and apply it to other destinations like Mars. So we are building a capability for our country. We are building a capability for humanity and exploration. And so our first flight, Artemis I, was about proving out the capability of this rocket. You can test so much on the ground, but eventually you got to go fly. And Artemis II is about testing out the spacecraft capability for crew. So we have new systems that are specifically designed and deployed for crew in the Orion spacecraft. And to me, having a human space flight, crewed mission that is going around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years is incredibly exciting. I can't tell you how excited I am for this mission. Joseph Zakrzewski And you touched upon the lessons that you learned from Artemis I, or what the objectives were for Artemis I were that, was there anything, any refinements from that launch and that mission, or the lessons used in that mission that you're that you're leaning on to help prepare for Artemis II? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Oh, absolutely. You know, every time you do something for the first time, or maybe the first couple of times, there's things that you learn. When we when we had the first launch attempt, we had a series of lessons learned. Some of them were procedural, some of them were timelines, some of them were small, some of them were bigger, but each and every one of those, we rolled into the next countdown. I would say the biggest lesson learned out of Artemis I from a launch perspective, is the way in which we load the cryogenic commodities on board the vehicle. And we learned a tremendous amount during Artemis I in the flow rates and the pressures loading into the core stage, especially as it relates to hydrogen and hydrogen leak prevention. And so we are taking everything we learned from Artemis I, and we are rolling that right into Artemis II. Joseph Zakrzewski And as Artemis II continues to come across the horizon, and we're seeing it come closer and closer. We're seeing a lot of discussions really ramp up, up the excitement, not just from the crew’s perspective, but really across the entire agency and across the US. What are some of the big milestones in the lead up to launch that your team is focused on right now at the moment, and how they're preparing themselves to accomplish that goal and get us to launch day? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson So some of the big milestones- and, you know, the other day we were looking at, I was sitting down with the flight crew, and we were looking at some of their training here at Kennedy Space Center. And I promise, I'm going to come back and answer the question, but we were looking at some of their training here, and we were looking at check boxes, you know, like a flow chart of things that we had accomplished. And, and I said, “You know what? There's more check boxes behind us than there are boxes in front of us.” And so to me, those are just all important milestones, and I can say the same thing in terms of the vehicle processing. So, you know, our boosters are stacked. That work is done. Our core stage is mated. Upper Stage mated, you know, checked off. Orion just finished up its flow over in our MPPF, which is the multi, Multi-Purpose Processing Facility, and where we do the fueling and some of the high pressure gas servicing. That is all done, it is now in the last of getting ready, getting the the last attached, and then, of course, that hardware will come to the to the Vehicle Assembly Building, or the VAB, and get integrated with the rocket stack that is awaiting it. So you know, the core stage is mated, the upper stage mated where we're right, where we expect to be with Orion. It'll come over this fall, get integrated with the with the stack, and then we have some testing that we'll do within the VAB. We have something called a Countdown Demonstration Test. That's a big test for us. The vehicles in a dry configuration. It's not loaded with any kind of day of launch propellants, cryogenics, but we'll go through and we'll do that test in the in the VAB, and then we'll get ready for rollout. And so, you know, we're down to, you know, less than a handful of tests to go before we get ready for rollout. And to me, roll out is such a big milestone, because we roll to the pad to launch and and so to see that vehicle when it rolls out of the VAB for the very first time is really, really a sight to see. So looking forward to that, looking forward to getting the vehicle to the pad and getting ready for our tanking test and then our launch. Joseph Zakrzewski I know I asked you earlier about the emotions you feel when you step into the launch director seat and you step into the firing room and you get ready for launch. But I'd imagine a sim- maybe a similar maybe a different, emotion comes over you as you talked about getting to witness the stacking of the rocket itself, the actual construction, quite honestly, from the ground up, of that rocket being built right before your eyes. What, especially on a rocket that for Artemis II getting ready to fly a crew on board. What? What do you feel and what do you see when you see momentous construction like that happening before your eyes? And I, you know, I've been to the Vehicle Assembly Building once, and to see, you know, the largest single story facility in the continental United States, standing right in front of you and knowing what's behind those large doors, and to see it firsthand has to be awe inspiring. Before, like you said, the rollout happens, and then you get closer and closer to to t-minus 0. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson It is, it is, it is inspiring. And I love to go over to the to the VAB. And sometimes just go over to the high bay that opposes the one where we're building the rocket and just go up to the crossover and look over at the flight hardware and it is that same sense of you see this, this flight hardware come together piece by piece. And there's a sense of accomplishment for the team. There is this anticipation for rollout and anticipation for launch. So it is a really special is the best word I can come up with, seeing the flight hardware come together. And I'll tell you, even sometimes, when you see it in the VAB, you know, there's platforms around the vehicle, and it can be kind of tough to- I mean, you can see it, but you can't see it like the in the same way that you do when you roll out. But right before rollout, all the platforms get retracted from around the vehicle, and you can see that incredible rocket just before rollout, and it is, it is a really beautiful sight. And then to me, when you when it comes outside for all the world to see as part of rollout, it is a one of a kind experience. Joseph Zakrzewski I'm getting goosebumps just hearing you describe it, and it sounds phenomenal. I've gone back on YouTube and nasa.gov and all the channels, the social channels that NASA has to witness what was Artemis I. And I'd encourage anybody listening to if you want a sneak preview, go back and check those out. But obviously, and we'll get into it a lot to look forward to as we get closer and closer to Artemis II. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson I will give you one little, one little tidbit from Artemis I rollout. You know, I'd seen that vehicle. I can't tell you how many times in the VAB and I have seen numerous shuttle rollouts. And not to take anything away from how amazing that vehicle looks in the VAB, and not to take anything away from a shuttle rollout. But it is so vivid in my mind the first time we rolled out of the VAB, and I remember what I said, because the launch director is, gives the go for role when you come out of the building. And I remember saying something to the effect of, it's time… It's time… It's time for her to come outside and let the world take a look. And when that vehicle standing over 300 feet tall on a mobile launch platform that's 50 feet off the ground, came rolling by the windows a firing room. One. It was, it was one. It looked huge. It was a beautiful sight. It was it, if it didn't give you goose bumps just seeing that vehicle come out, knowing that it was destined for, you know, a moon mission, and this will be even more special, because this is a moon mission with a crew. I can't wait, as you can tell. Joseph Zakrzewski I’m right there with you. I'm just as excited to witness it, and it's to see you in the launch director seat, but just to witness it, just as a fan of human space flight, it sounds incredible and I cannot wait to follow along. Thank you for sharing that, and I definitely will go back and look. And it gives me something even more so to look forward to. Kind of touching back on what we were talking about, the team and the teams that it takes to get to launch day, not only just at Kennedy Space Center, but at Johnson Space Center, and really across all the centers around the United States. How does, how do you work with those teams, whether it be the flight directors in Mission Control, whether it be the Artemis II crew itself, how does that become a unanimous group when you're spread out over multiple areas and communications and time zones can be, you know, affected and changed up a little bit. But how do you work with all these teams to to lead up and get you to launch day? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Well, you know, the great thing about all those teams is we are united in the mission, right? We are all about Artemis II. And so it doesn't matter if we're separated by miles or our centers, we are all about this mission. And so, you know, our my ascent flight director and I, we talk regularly, because, you know, he inherits, and his team inherits the vehicle that we launch on launch day. And so we need to make sure that you know when we are developing our go, no go criteria for launch commit criteria that that's in line with the flight rules that we. When we have issues on launch day or problems on launch day, and we're talking about, hey, what does this mean? You know, we're not looking at it from what does it mean to us on the ground. We're looking at it from a what does this mean to you from the mission? And so the flight control team and the flight director have to be involved in those discussions. So it is a partnership. From the time we start working requirements through Sims, through launch and the and the mission, it is a partnership throughout. Joseph Zakrzewski And knowing and being on the inside a little bit and looking around that the sims are very actively ongoing. And it's amazing to hear the communications on the the loops, the nets that you might hear us discuss, but that is communications across centers and agencies across the country, of everybody talking in communication with each other in real time to make sure you know whether it's a sim or whether it's just meetings in preparation, and then ultimately, launch day itself. It's it's phenomenal. And that's where being on the Public Affairs side to be that that person on the wall that gets to witness this in real time has been incredibly awe inspiring. And it's amazing to hear how much and how much of that communication spreads throughout because, as you said, everyone is dedicated to the mission itself. Artemis II again, coming up right around the corner. Well, with that too, Artemis II sets the stage for Artemis III, the first crewed moon landing in over 50 years. And this is kind of a heavy question. It kind of goes it taps back into your experiences growing up as a child all the way to today, knowing that you got to witness those lunar landings firsthand, and that was that spark of inspiration for you. How does it feel knowing that you're a key part of this journey and the return to the landing on the moon, setting the stage for Artemis III. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson You know, it feels a little surreal. It feels it's a, I've said, you know, when we were talking before, I said, well, it's a mix of emotion, but this is a, it's a mix of emotion too, as I think about Artemis three, because, you know, it's, there's a part of it that is, if I look back at that young, that young girl who was so interested in the lunar landings and who it my, you know, all my childhood, I can remember looking up in the night sky and seeing points of light and looking at the moon and just being intrigued and curious. And so to think about being a part of the team that is preparing to go back, it's almost, it's it's almost unbelievable. But at the same time, you know, every day you see this team, you know the things that you're working on, you see the team moving forward one step at a time. You know, adding these capabilities. I mean, we are going back to the moon and so it is extremely gratifying. It feels like a gigantic blessing to have been a part of this in a very small way. And there's a part of it that's still like, you know, pinch me. Did I? Did I really get to do this? Did I really get to be a part of this team? And, you know, I'm really lucky that I'm at a point in my career where I get to, right? I get to come to Kennedy Space Center every day and work on this Artemis program. I get to work with an incredible group of engineers. I get to work across centers with my flight control team, my launch control team, in partnership like we just described on this amazing mission, I get to help in some small way us advance our exploration efforts. I am in. I get to. And man, do I feel blessed to get to say that. Joseph Zakrzewski And I've been fortunate enough, I've seen interviews where on, on documentaries and sections getting ready for Artemis II and knowing that when someone watches you and sees you, that you are that that physics teacher, you are that inspiration to a new generation of launch leaders and people that want to be a part of human spaceflight and the future of human spaceflight, knowing, you know, the path that you came through, whether you know it was it was your family support, the physics teacher, as you mentioned in school, and then and making your way, ultimately, to NASA. Now, reflecting back, what would you tell young engineers that want to be in roles like yours, that when they see the return to the Moon and when they watch that on TV and they see you in the launch director's seat, that's their spark of inspiration. What would you tell those young individuals that see themselves and see themselves inspired to become a part of this next, next era of human spaceflight? Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Well, I can't think of a greater honor than to maybe be something similar to what that physics teacher was for me. So if I can serve in that role for a young person, there's no greater honor. I think that that I could have. What would I say to them? I would say the same thing that my parents said to me, work hard, right? There is no substitute for hard work and doing good work, right? Producing good products. Be a good teammate, because nothing is accomplished by a single person, right? Our launch team is a team. We all have to show up. We have to bring our best, and what we're a part of is is bigger than us, and so be a good teammate. Speak up. You know, especially if something is concerning, speak up. Raise your hand. You know, if there's something you're interested in learning or being a part of, raise your hand. And then the other thing that I didn't learn until later in my career, which is sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone, but that's generally when you learn and grow the most. So that's probably some of the the advice I would give to young people. And then I would also say that if you're willing to work for it, if you can dream it, you can be it, as long as you're willing to work for it. Joseph Zakrzewski Those are incredible words to inspire, and they've inspired me. And I know I'm greatly looking forward to the countdown to lift off and and and witnessing history once again, and and Artemis II taking off. Kind of, before I let you go, and I know you have a lot of work to do, and there's still a lot, you know, as we get closer and closer to the countdown itself, but kind of walk us through, what should we be looking for, for those viewers at home that are going to be watching on their TVs and participating and in humans return to the Moon? What should we be watching for on Artemis II? I know a lot happens in a short amount of time, and a lot has to happen to be successful, but if I'm watching from home, I'd love to learn and follow along with what you see and what everyone here at NASA is excited to see. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Well, I think the first most visible milestone of launch is when we have that walk out of the crew. And that sounds like simple thing, right? But the crew is suited up. They are headed to the pad. We are making that nine mile trip from the crew quarters to the pad where they're going to get stru- strapped in to the Orion spacecraft and get ready to launch. So to me, that is the that's that first big visible item is that crew walk out. I can't wait to see it, and then it's, you know, the countdown itself, progressing down to that final hold point, which is t-minus 10 minutes for us. And so that's probably the part that many have seen on on TV, is that final when you do those final polls and you're ready to go. And to me, that's also another one of those visible points of launch, because you can be working items. And in Artemis I, we certainly had a number of challenges that we worked through different problems and different countdowns. But when you get to t-minus 10 minutes, and the problems are getting resolved, and the NASA Test Director comes to the launch director and says, “Launch Director, NTD, our launch team is ready to proceed. We are working no constraints.” And the launch director, the launch director, performs the final poll. I do my final poll, and then I give the go to pick up the count and terminal count that last 10 minutes of the countdown, we don't have any planned hold. So if the countdown clock were to hold inside of 10 minutes, it's because we've encountered an issue. And between six and a minute 30, we only have three minutes. Should we hold the clock to get that that issue resolved? And so as we count through those milestones of terminal count, the room is incredibly quiet in the firing room, because the team is focused on their data. They're focused on their system. They're focused on their Go, No Go, or their launch commit criteria and ensuring that we are ready to go fly. We're ready for liftoff. And so those final milestones that you hear on on TV or you hear in our firing room, you know, “t-minus five minutes. GLS is go for FTS arm.” And you count down through the final minutes of countdown. You're terminating propellants to the vehicle. You're pressurizing tanks. You're transitioning from the ground power to the onboard power. You're at a minute 30 seconds and then you continue that countdown, you hand over to the flight software, and then at 10 seconds, you hear the Ground Launch Sequencer operator announce that we are go for core stage engine start. And you begin the stagger start of those engines, and then booster ignition and then lift off. And so for that countdown, the milestones that I would that I would say are they're all, I think they're all exciting, as you can tell as I talk through them. But to me, it's that when the crew heads to the pad, you know, that one we have finished our tanking operations, that we are committing our crew to the pad to get strapped in, to do com checks, to get ready to go fly. And then that last 10 minutes of count is we have cleared any issues that we're working. We have given the final go to proceed, and we are we're going to count down through that countdown, down to t zero… and lift off. Joseph Zakrzewski Wow, that you gave me goosebumps earlier when you talked about the vehicle rollout of the VAB. I think that takes the cake for any podcast episode I've ever been on that was phenomenal. And I cannot wait for the audience to hear this and to maybe even hear this as the launch is happening, because you painted an absolutely gorgeous picture with those milestones, the importance of those milestones, what's going on behind the scenes? Wow. I- thank you. That was fantastic. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson Sorry. I probably got a little carried away there as I was talking about it, but it's they're all very meaningful to me. So… Joseph Zakrzewski It has been an honor. I know you're a very busy person. I'll let you go, but what a tremendous conversation we've had, and I could ask you a bunch more questions, especially when you when you really got into it. I absolutely love it. So Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, thank you so much for joining us on Houston We Have a Podcast. Charlie Blackwell-Thompson It's been my pleasure. Go Artemis. Joseph Zakrzewski Thanks for sticking around. I hope you learned something new today. You can check out the latest from around the agency nasa.gov. And you can find out more about the Artemis II mission at nasa.gov/artemis. Our full collection of episodes and other wonderful NASA podcasts can be found at nasa.gov/podcasts. On social media we're on the NASA Johnson Space Center pages of Facebook, X, and Instagram. If you have any questions for us or suggestions for future episodes, email us at nasa-houstonpodcast@mail.nasa.gov. This interview was recorded on August 19, 2025. Our producer is Dane Turner. Audio engineers are Will Flato and Daniel Tohill. And our social media is managed by Kelcie Howren. Houston We Have a Podcast was created and is supervised by Gary Jordan. Special thanks to Antonia Jaramillo and Madison Tuttle for helping us plan and set up this interview. And of course, thanks again to Charlie Blackwell-Thompson for taking the time to come on the show. Give us a rating and feedback on whatever platform you're listening to us on, and tell us what you think of our podcast. 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