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The Women Behind the Artemis II Science Team
- Rosie Johnson
- May 11
- 2 min read
More than 50 years after the Apollo era, humanity is preparing to return to the Moon with NASA’s NASA Artemis program.
But this time, the story looks different.
During Apollo, women made critical contributions behind the scenes, yet they were vastly underrepresented in mission control, science leadership, and engineering roles. Today, women are helping lead NASA’s return to the Moon.
From mission operations , lunar science, and astronaut training, women are playing an essential role in shaping the future of human spaceflight.
A New Era of Lunar Exploration
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission of the Artemis program, sending four astronauts around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. The mission tested the spacecraft and systems needed to return humans to the lunar surface and, eventually, send astronauts to Mars.
For many women working on the mission, Artemis II represents more than a technological milestone. It represents progress.
The people leading today’s missions better reflect the diversity of the world they serve, bringing a wider range of experiences and perspectives to one of the most ambitious human endeavors of our time.
Meet the Women Featured in Our Interview
During the 10 days of the Artemis II mission, we were on site at NASA's Johnson Space Center capturing all the behind the scenes of this historic mission. During this week we got to ask some of the women working on Artemis II one important question:
How does it feel to work on Artemis II knowing how few women were part of the Apollo missions?
Their answers were thoughtful, emotional, and inspiring.
Dr. Jennifer Heldmann
Planetary Scientist and Artemis II Science Team Lead
Dr. Sarah Noble
Artemis II Lunar Science Lead
Dr. Amanda Nahm
NASA Headquarters Program Scientist
Dr. Marie Henderson
Deputy Lunar Science Lead for Artemis II
Together, these women are helping guide the scientific and operational decisions that will shape humanity’s next journey around the Moon.
Watch the Video
In this Her Cosmic Orbit interview, these remarkable women share what it means to be part of a mission that is not only returning humanity to the Moon, but also redefining who gets to lead the way.
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