I Am Artemis: Jacki Mahaffey

Listen to this audio clip from Jacki Mahaffey, Artemis II Training Manager:

When the Artemis II crew travels around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, they will have spent countless hours training for their lunar mission, and Jacki Mahaffey will have played a role in preparing them for their journey.

As Artemis II training manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Mahaffey manages the planning, development and implementation of astronaut training and integrated simulations. His job is to ensure that when the Artemis II crew travels around the Moon inside Orion, the astronauts and flight controllers are ready at every moment – ​​expected and unexpected.

Jacki Mahaffey

Artemis II Training Director

The Artemis II crew began their rigorous training in 2023, but the work of Mahaffey and his team began well before that. Years before training began, his team assembled experts on how to operate the different aspects of Orion and what the crew will need to know to execute their mission.

“One of my favorite moments of this process was when we all got together in one room and everyone brought a piece of paper for each lesson or training event they expected to do with the crew,” Mahaffey said. “And we organized everything to figure out what is the most logical order to put all of this training in, to help build the big picture for the crew.”

Training for Artemis II began shortly after the crew announcement, with Mahaffey and his team introducing the astronauts to Orion’s systems and operational basics. With the necessary simulators and mock-ups ready, the crew moved on to hands-on training to familiarize themselves with their spacecraft.

At Johnson, Mahaffey’s team uses a range of specialized facilities, including the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility, where astronauts rehearse their lives and work inside the Orion mock-up; the Orion mission simulator, which reproduces the software and flight displays; and the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, where the crew practices in-water survival techniques for post-landing scenarios.

“We try to simulate as much as possible here on Earth,” Mahaffey said. “But we still have gravity, so we rely on the experience of the crew to imagine how they will use space in microgravity”

Three of Artemis II’s four astronauts have already flown in space, and Mahaffey considers their experience a powerful asset. They contribute information that shapes procedures and training plans, and they learn each other’s unique problem-solving styles.

“They teach us how to take a crew perspective on working in space and the things that will matter most,” she said.

Mahaffey’s journey began with a love for engineering and a role as a flight controller at Johnson’s Mission Control Center. She found joy in training others and eventually moved into a full-time training role. Today, she leads a team of approximately 100 contributors, all working to prepare the crew for their historic mission.

“At first, I didn’t want to become a trainer. I studied engineering because I loved physics and math,” she said. “But as the work evolved into applying this knowledge in engineering, communication and planning how a spacecraft would operate, the natural next step was to teach others.”

Jacki Mahaffey

Artemis II Training Director

For Mahaffey, Artemis is a bridge connecting his family’s legacy to the future of space exploration. Her grandfather worked on the control systems for Apollo, and she sees his work as a continuation of that story, now with more advanced technology and new frontiers.

“We’re doing some of the same things as Apollo, but expanding on them,” she said. “We are learning more about the Moon, the history of our Earth and how we will reach Mars.”

Its role during Artemis II also includes serving as the Artemis capcom, short for capsule communicator, the mission control station that communicates directly with crew members. Mahaffey plans to work on the entry team for Artemis II, helping guide the crew to water landing and ensuring their safe recovery. This moment will be the culmination of the hard work of his entire team.

“I will feel good when the recovery forces report that the hatch is open,” Mahaffey said. “This moment will be incredible.”