Jaclyn Kagey, Artemis extravehicular activity (EVA) lead at NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate, is central to preparing astronauts for safe exploration of the Moon’s surface during upcoming Artemis missions. She works closely with scientists and industry partners to define lunar surface activities and set operational standards for humanity’s return to the Moon.
What happened
Kagey’s role involves planning detailed spacewalk timelines and managing real-time lunar surface operations for astronauts who will explore the Moon’s South Pole—a region never visited by humans and critical for future deep space missions. She oversees activities conducted after astronauts exit NASA’s human landing system, a commercial lunar lander designed for safe transport between lunar orbit and surface.
With over 25 years at NASA, Kagey’s career includes extensive experience managing complex space programs. A notable highlight was her leadership during a high-stakes repair on the International Space Station (ISS) involving a critical ammonia leak, where she and her team successfully planned and executed a spacewalk in just 36 hours.
Kagey also advocates for spacesuit designs that accommodate a wider range of body types, informed by her own challenges with fitting legacy Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU). This advocacy culminated in testing the new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) lunar spacesuit on NASA’s Active Response Gravity Offload System at Johnson Space Center.
Why it matters
Jaclyn Kagey’s work is vital for ensuring astronaut safety and mission success during Artemis lunar surface operations. By improving spacewalk planning and spacesuit design inclusivity, Kagey helps prepare NASA for sustained human presence on the Moon. The Artemis missions aim to establish a foothold at the Moon’s South Pole to enable future exploration of Mars and beyond.
Background
The Artemis program seeks to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era and includes landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface. NASA’s human landing system will ferry astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface, while advances in spacesuit technology will support complex extravehicular activities required for scientific research and infrastructure setup.
Jaclyn Kagey began her NASA career as a contractor with United Space Alliance 25 years ago and has steadily advanced to lead critical EVA operations, drawing on her extensive experience with shuttle launches and ISS missions.
Sources
This article is based on reporting and publicly available information from the following source:
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