I Am Artemis: Grace Lauderdale
NASA/Rad Sinyak
Listen to this audio excerpt from Grace Lauderdale, exploration project managerĀ for theĀ Training Systems Office at NASA Johnson:
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In preparation for their mission around the Moon inside NASAās Orion spacecraft, the Artemis II crew will spend countless hours training inside the Orion Mission Simulator. The simulator replicates what the crew will experience inside the spacecraft and allows the astronauts and flight controllers to rehearse every phase of the mission.
As the exploration project manager for the Training Systems Office at Johnson, Grace Lauderdale leads the team that develops and operates the Orion Mission Simulator at NASAās Johnson Space Center in Houston, playing a key role in making sure astronauts and flight control teams are ready for the first crewed mission of the Artemis campaign.
“This simulator trains the flight control team and the crew all the way from launch to splashdown. Every button, every display, every view out the window is as lifelike as possible.ā
Grace Lauderdale
Exploration Project ManagerĀ for theĀ Training Systems Office at NASA Johnson
The simulator is more than a mock-up. It connects directly to Johnsonās Mission Control Center, sending real-time data, audio, and video ā just like the spacecraft will during flight. That means the flight control team trains in parallel, seeing and hearing exactly what they would throughout the mission.
āOne of our major goals is to make the data they see on their displays look like the real vehicle,ā Lauderdale said. āWe also simulate the near space and deep space networks, including all the communication delays. Itās all about realism.ā
That realism is powered by a complex software system developed in collaboration with partners like Lockheed Martin. Lauderdaleās team works behind the scenes to ensure the simulator runs smoothly ā writing code, troubleshooting issues, and even creating custom malfunctions to challenge the crew during training.
To prepare astronauts for the unexpected, instructors work with Lauderdaleās team to simulate problems that could occur during the mission, some of which require creative solutions.
āThere are times when the instructors will ask for malfunctions or capabilities that the sim doesnāt automatically do,ā she said. āPart of our role is to come up with ways to make that happen.ā
Her team plans, develops, and executes training scenarios in the Orion Mission Simulator across multiple Artemis missions, often simultaneously. āCurrently, weāre planning for future crewed missions, developing Artemis III, and executing Artemis II,ā she said.
The work is demanding, but deeply personal, according to Lauderdale.
āIāve known I wanted to work at NASA since the seventh grade. Every class I took, the degree I earned ā it was all to get here.ā
Grace Lauderdale
Exploration Project ManagerĀ for theĀ Training Systems Office at NASA Johnson
That passion shows in her leadership. Her team often works nights, weekends, and holidays to ensure the simulator is ready. During a recent 30-hour simulation, they spent days preparing, fixing memory issues, and ensuring the system wouldnāt crash. It didnāt.
āIām very proud of my team,ā she said. āTheyāve put in countless hours of work to make sure this simulator reacts exactly as it would in the real mission.ā
For Lauderdale, helping send astronauts around the Moon isnāt just a jobāitās a dream realized.
āBeing part of getting us back to the Moon is very personal to me,ā she said. āAnd Iām proud to be part of the team that will help get our astronauts there.ā
About the Author
Erika Peters
