In this video from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), astronaut Jenni Gibbons discusses her role a Capsule Communicator (Capcom) on the Artemis 2 mission.
As humanity prepares its historic return to lunar orbit with the Artemis II mission, a Canadian voice will be a vital link between Earth and the Moon. Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jenni Gibbons has been assigned the critical role of Capsule Communicator (Capcom), serving as the primary point of contact between Mission Control in Houston and the four-person crew—including fellow Canadian Jeremy Hansen.
In a new behind-the-scenes look at her preparation, Gibbons details the immense responsibility of distilling the expertise of an entire flight control team into clear, calm instructions for the first crewed mission to the Moon in over half a century.
Transcript Jenni Gibbons: Communications from Earth to the Moon
(Edited for clarity)
Jenni Gibbons: Artemis II is the first time we’re sending humans back to the Moon in over 50 years. My role on the Artemis II mission is as a backup crew member, but specifically for the mission itself, I will be a Capcom, or a Capsule Communicator.
The Capcom is the person in Mission Control who is responsible for all of the communication between the flight control team on the ground and the crew on the vehicle.
I’ll be speaking to Jeremy, Reid, Victor, and Christina as they make their way towards the Moon and around the Moon. It’s a really unique role because it’s the one voice that the crew hears from the ground. You’re really trying to distill everything that is happening in Mission Control and all of the expertise of that flight control team into the one piece of information that the crew needs at that moment.
The preparation for being a Capcom is extensive. We spend hundreds of hours in the simulators, running through every possible scenario—nominal and off-nominal—to make sure that we’re ready for anything that might happen during the mission.
It’s an incredible privilege to be a part of this team and to be a part of this mission. Canada has a huge role to play in the future of space exploration, and Artemis II is just the beginning.