Artemis II names NASA's first dedicated science officers.

NASA has certified three science officers—Kelsey Young, Trevor Graff, and Angela Garcia—to serve in Mission Control for Artemis II; the crew will photograph and record audio of the Moon during the April 6 flyby and deliver those data to science back rooms at Johnson Space Center.

NASA has certified three science officers to serve in the front room of Mission Control for the Artemis II mission. Kelsey Young of Goddard Space Flight Center and Trevor Graff and Angela Garcia of Johnson Space Center completed months of flight controller training and certification. Artemis introduces a dedicated science officer position to integrate lunar science and geology objectives into mission operations. The Artemis II crew will perform a lunar flyby on April 6 and will take photographs and record audio of the Moon for scientific use. Key facts: - Three officers certified: Kelsey Young (Artemis II lunar science lead), Trevor Graff, and Angela Garcia. - The science officer is the senior flight controller responsible for lunar science and geology objectives during Artemis missions. - The team completed months of flight controller training, testing, and integrated simulations, including geology fieldwork in lunar-like landscapes such as Iceland. - During the April 6 lunar flyby, astronauts will take photos and record audio; those data will be sent to the Science Evaluation Room and the Science Mission Operations Room at Johnson. - Artemis II will not land; the mission is a test flight to refine science workflows, technical requirements, and integration into Mission Control. Summary: The new science officer role brings lunar science directly into front-room flight operations and is intended to ensure science objectives are integrated during mission execution. Artemis II's April 6 lunar flyby will provide an operational test of those procedures, and lessons learned will be used to refine science mission operations for future Artemis flights.