At the time of this writing, Artemis 2 is expected to launch around the moon as early as February 2026. Much of the attention has naturally been on the prime crew, including Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, as they prepare for the first lunar crewed mission in more than 50 years.
Canada has a seat on the mission principally, but not fully, due to funding for MDA Space’s Canadarm3 robotic arm for the future Gateway space station. This also extends to a backup astronaut: alongside the four prime crew members (Hansen, and NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch) are two backup crew members – CSA’s Jenni Gibbons and NASA’s Andre Douglas. In discussions with SpaceQ, Hansen has repeatedly emphasized that the six astronauts work as one unit Artemis 2’s procedures are developed.
Given these things, SpaceQ requested an interview with Gibbons – a mechanical engineer and combustion scientist selected by CSA in 2017 – to learn more about the mission from her perspective. Gibbons spoke with SpaceQ by phone on Dec. 8. The transcript below captures the conversation as closely as possible to the original, so that readers can hear Gibbons speak about the mission in her own words.
SpaceQ: So the first thing I wanted to ask was – and I realize this is a very impossible question because it would take a literal book – but can you describe just from an overview perspective what the entire crew – the prime crew and the backup crew – has been working through in the past while. Just like an overview of the different elements you’ve been thinking about, and some of the problems you’ve been trying to solve?
Gibbons: Yes, absolutely. A lot of our work has been classroom- and simulation-based. We are learning all systems of Orion, how we troubleshoot them, and all the necessary actions – both crew actions and ground actions – to keep us safe in case something does happen.
And then there’s this whole other portion of the mission, which is the nominal mission. Like when we’re practicing for anything that could happen, but when things go well, what are we doing every day on the timeline?
We’ve been doing a lot of work on the long-angle and proximity operations, flight test detectives, making sure that we’re ready for that, to set up future Artemis missions as well. We’re making sure that we have all the information that we need about coming up close to the upper stage ICPS [interim cryogenic propulsion stage] for that portion of the mission [docking, which is needed for future Artemis missions].
We’ve been spending a lot of time on science objectives, making sure that we’re well-prepared to be able to describe the lunar surface during the flyby. And of course, backup crew is doing all of this alongside the prime crew. So all six of us are prepared to fly the mission if that ends up being the case. Obviously, the prime crew is much more likely to go, but we’re all prepared to do so.
And then since it’s developmental, there’s also a large amount of work with the ground team working on procedural products and, let’s say, flight rules – everything that’s needed to support the mission from the ground as well. So it has been busy, but in a really positive and productive way.
SpaceQ: I know this is another difficult question. I want to talk a little bit about maybe a day in the life, or sort of a typical training day. And I know that’s hard because you could be doing many types of activities, or things such as a launch simulation that may take an entire day. But can you just give me a sense about – if you can – a day where you have a number of different activities moving between different stations, what you might be working on for the moment you wake up ’til you go to bed?
Gibbons: Yeah, for sure. Normally I wake up and try and get into work in time for some sort of workout, if I’m not scheduled for one on that day. And so I’ll try and be at work by, let’s say, seven o’clock. And then my first meeting is usually around 8. And maybe on Mondays, let’s say, it’s a tag-up. So we’re talking about high-priority items ahead for the crew and our support team. What do we need to pay attention to this week? What do we want to focus our attention on?
And then I’ll go into classes. Let’s say I’ll have a two- to three-hour class on, I don’t know, an electrical bus loss or some failure that we want to be well-versed on the procedure that guides us through that. So I’ll be with an instructor team and a couple of simulation experts in the simulator, probably with another one or two crew members. Let’s say we’re in pairs, or groups of three. We go through that training.
Normally we have some time – let’s say again, it’s a Monday – to discuss things as a crew. And then, oh, I’m working through procedures, approving changes, getting ready for the mission. It could be a class on any other system on Orion, or let’s say practicing looking at the moon and describing different features to get valuable information for the geology ground team. It’s pretty varied, but if I don’t have a sim, I would say that’s pretty straightforward: day classes.
SpaceQ: And then are you working all the way through until you go to bed, or do you have a minute or two to, you know, relax at the end of the evening?
Gibbons: Because it’s definitely a marathon, I try and take time in the evening. So when I finish work, I truly try and finish work unless things are so heavy, I need to do some work in the evenings. But I’m really trying to take that time. So finishing up by 5, let’s say.
SpaceQ: Okay, fair enough. You touched on this a bit earlier, but can you talk a little bit in more detail about the nature of a developmental mission, as opposed to a more operational mission than ISS? I say “more operational” because I realize every mission is to an extent developmental, but Artemis is a different category, I think. So do you mind?
Gibbons: Yeah, absolutely. So a lot of that work will be to prep for future missions. So like you are well-aware – and your readers are aware – this is the first time that crew have flown in this capsule on this rocket. We are just making sure that we’re well-equipped for all of the flight test objectives that are ahead of us. So testing the ecosystem, making sure that our Orion vehicle is set up well to fly and perform a docking on a future mission. So again, that high priority flight test objective, the ProxOps objective.
So there’s a lot of that, but I would say that one of the most interesting things from my perspective – beyond like all these flight test objectives that we’re faced with – is really that the procedures are brand-new. So we’re figuring the first time, and how to guide future crews. Learning how to do that and making sure we have the right products prepared is probably the most interesting part of the developmental side for me. I have not done that before.
Obviously, with the ISS, some things are just like so well-practiced, and we know what reaching an objective is going to look like. But we really don’t know with Artemis. And even now, we’re still doing the best that we can and taking a first, I would say, really good stab at it. But we will know when this mission flies how a lot of these procedures and tasks look.
SpaceQ: Interesting. So when you talk about a product, can you give me an example of that thought process, how the six of you and all of your support teams are working through that?
Gibbons: Yeah, so we have the flight test – or the flight control – team, who have a specific area of expertise through subject matter experts. Let’s say one of them is a life support system expert, and they’re working on a procedure to something that people can relate to – like donning or working through a spacesuit procedure, something that’s really tangible.
So we’ll write that out, so that we can guide a crew member through it in a procedure. We’re doing it without the experience of being an Orion, being in that space environment. So we’re taking a lot of guesses as to what a body position could look like: what’s going to be easy, what’s going to be hard, how to communicate with the ground through something, even how to take photos of something like a spacesuit so the ground can follow along with what’s happening.
So we’re writing all of that down, developing it, and practicing it as best we can here, making all those changes and revs [revisions] so that when we hopefully fly the mission and talk them through that procedure for the suit donning, we have as much of it figured out as possible. But I’m sure there will be things that we learn once the crew’s actually in space.
SpaceQ: 1000%, I agree with you. And that kind of relates to my next question, which again is a big one, but what are some of the main lessons learned that the six of you and your support teams have been learning, engaging in, as you’ve been going through this developmental process and training process?
Gibbons: One thing I’ve learned is just how truly multidimensional and interdisciplinary all of this work is. It is completely an integrated system. We learn that when we’re going through, let’s say, the timeline to execute a burn on orbit – whether it’s a trajectory correction burn or a raise burn or whatever – or one of the major burns of the mission, TLI [trans-lunar injection, the engine burn bringing the astronauts from Earth’s orbit to a trajectory around the moon].
That process of getting the crew, the ground team, and Orion ready to complete a burn involves every discipline on the flight control team. So one of the lessons that I have learned – and I’ve been told this before, but I really see it with Orion – is that it is truly an integrated system. You cannot let these systems stand alone. You need integration. You need to know how things interact with one another, because every system has an impact on another system to prepare for a big event.
SpaceQ: One thing that I’ve learned from talking with you and Jeremy – and others involved in the mission – is that this, of course, is part of a continuum. We’ll be sort of getting ready for 3, 4, 5 and beyond. When you have a moment to think, which I know is rare, have you thought about the legacy that you and your crew are trying to leave for others that might be coming behind you to help them get a little bit more comfortable, I suppose, with what would be required next?
Gibbons: It’s an interesting thought because we say that we’re totally focused on 2, which is true. We are. Every day we’re thinking about what’s going to get us closer to completing this mission successfully. But by nature, focusing on 2 is to set up for future missions – because so much of Artemis 2 is really an active service for 3 and beyond.
I’ve talked extensively already about that. The ProxOps demo, all of that is set up for 3 and onward. But even the science objectives, like how can we develop the procedures and develop the training to set our friends and colleagues up well for 3 and beyond. So I would say it’s definitely in everybody’s head as they’re going through the products for 2, but we’re fortunate that it’s kind of built into the mission.
Like our objective is to execute Artemis 2 with the precision and the technical ability and operational ability that we expect as a space agency and a collection of space agencies, NASA and CSA together. And in doing that, we are creating a platform for Artemis 3 as best we possibly can.
SpaceQ: Makes sense. So moving on to the more public engagement side, which we’re literally doing right now, how else are you engaging different communities to be spreading the message of the mission? Or maybe better put would be, what sorts of communities are you reaching out to and what kinds of main messages are you trying to be helping them understand or engage in?
Gibbons: We’re definitely trying to reach, I would say, a broad spectrum of people with this mission, because it’s kind of something that I think will belong to everybody. It’s very special that Canada is on this mission and a part of this. I just think involving people from all walks of life who have a connection to space – which really is everybody through our daily lives completely enabled by space access and activities in space – we’re able to do that.
So I would say we’re definitely not limiting any of our outreach, but hopefully in kind of involving new parties and new people who might not think about space, let’s say, with a low Earth orbit mission as much. But exploration is something people can really relate to.
So whether it’s decision-makers for future missions or people who are involved with, let’s say, agriculture or communications or development projects, letting them know how space reaches them. Down to school kids. I mean, people who just are fascinated with the idea of going to the moon. So hopefully we’re trying to hit people from all walks of life, all ages.
And I think Jeremy’s mission and what he shares – the photos that he takes and the words that he shares – will really speak to that. I hope everyone from all of those groups finds it really inspiring. I know I will.
SpaceQ: Okay, great. I’m pretty sure we only have a few seconds left. And so I just wanted to also throw this back to you. I’ve asked a lot of questions, but you and the crew are clearly the subject matter experts. And so is there anything else that you wanted to emphasize or include that maybe I hadn’t even touched on yet? Like, what else do you want to be saying about this mission?
Gibbons: I just want to say that it’s just the beginning. The fact that Canada is involved in this mission speaks so much about Canada’s partnership with NASA, and our involvement in exploration missions, but really it does not stop there.This is the first of potentially many missions that Canada could be involved in.We just need to maintain our presence in the space community, and that’s the international space community.
So hopefully people will see the huge benefit of this mission, and at least relate to it in a tangible way. Like the fact that it’s so inspiring to have Jeremy up there, and sharing this with our children and our communities within Canada. I really hope that people will take away that this is something that we
need to complete and continue to do.And it’s not a given that Canada’s going to be there.We really need sustained effort and interest from people in the country to continue. And I hope we do.