I Am Artemis: Dave Reynolds

As NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) booster manager, Dave Reynolds’ journey to NASA is epitomized by his childhood poster of the Space Shuttle. Return to flight initiative, hanging in his office, a constant reminder that his journey to the agency began decades ago.

Growing up in Roy, Utah, Reynolds remembers standing outside watching smoke rise from booster tests at Northrop Grumman’s Promontory facility. Rockets were the backdrop of his childhood, and growing up on shuttle missions sparked his fascination with space exploration.

As the SLS booster manager, Dave is responsible for the design, development and flight of the boosters, a job that echoes the sense of importance that inspired him as a child to study spaceflight.

“I couldn’t really verbalize how I felt at the time, but as I’ve matured over time, I now realize that I want to be part of the team that sends astronauts to the Moon, and I have a personal desire to keep those individuals safe,” Reynolds said.

Early in his career at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Reynolds worked on the J-2X, a liquid cryogenic engine that was once planned to power the SLS upper stage. In 2012, he turned his attention to solid rocket motors, becoming subsystem manager of the SLS booster office. Reynolds spent his days managing and testing engine cases, gaskets, igniters and separation motors.

He was promoted to deputy director of the SLS office where he helped oversee the development of solid propellants. He was also responsible for developing and managing the advanced composite thrusters that would be used for future Artemis missions.

With the launch of Artemis II on the horizon, Reynolds is excited to be part of the team preparing to send a crew of four astronauts around the Moon.

David Reynolds

Booster Manager for Space Launch System

“Deep down, I’m really excited about Artemis II. My eight-year-old is still here, eager to watch from a distance as the smoke rises from these booster tests. He wouldn’t believe the things I’ve seen and what I’m about to see,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds witnessed moments that would have stunned his eight-year-old self. In 2022, he watched the SLS light up the morning sky during the launch of Artemis I. Most recently, the advanced booster he helped develop completed its first full-scale test. Reynolds watched the booster come to life – just a few miles from his hometown in Utah.

From his driveway to the test site, Reynolds’ curiosity blossomed into a career shaped by purpose, responsibility and respect for the work ahead. The poster on Reynolds’ wall isn’t just a memory of the past: it’s a reminder of where his interest took root and how far that curiosity has taken him.

As the team moves closer to the launch of Artemis II that will take astronauts around the Moon, Reynolds feels a familiar sense of elation. The questions that once drew him to space still guide him today, except this time he’s among those helping shape the answers.

Learn more about NASA’s Space Launch System at:

https://www.nasa.gov/sls