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Mission Accomplished! Artemis ROADS III National Challenge Competitors Celebrate their Achievements
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By NASA
2 Min Read I Am Artemis: Joe Pavicic
Listen to this audio excerpt from Joe Pavicic, Artemis operations project engineer
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Your browser does not support the audio element. Joe Pavicic will never forget when he told the Artemis launch director teams were NO-GO for launch.
Before Artemis I lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 2022, the launch team made multiple launch attempts the months prior.
“During a previous Artemis I launch attempt, there was an issue with engine three,” said Pavicic, operations project engineer who worked on the engines console during Artemis I. “One sensor was showing that it wasn’t seeing liquid hydrogen through it. It was showing that it was at ambient temperature.”
And I had to tell the launch director, ‘We can't get there today with the current criteria that we have. My recommendation is a NO-GO.’
Joe pavicic
Operations Project Engineer
Prior to engine ignition, launch team controllers must first chill the engines before the cryogenic liquid propellant fuels and lifts the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft into the heavens and onward to the Moon. Chilling the engines ensures the hardware doesn’t get damaged when exposed to the super-cooled liquid hydrogen at -423 degrees Fahrenheit.
NASA/Kim Shiflett “We tried everything we could think of,” Pavicic recalls. “Any procedure we could try, we tried it, and we just never saw those rates that we should have.”
Thus, Pavicic, who is originally from West Palm Beach and studied aerospace engineering at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, went back to the drawing board with the rest of his team, working days and nights rewriting procedures and learning new lessons about the engines and sensors until they were finally able to get to a successful launch.
“I just remember after I said, 'NO-GO,' I felt like all these people came to watch the launch, all my family, and I'm like, ‘I'm the guy,' but I told myself, ‘I'm not going to be the one to say this for the next launch attempt. I'm going to do what I can to get us there.’
joe pavicic
Operations Project Engineer
NASA successfully launched and flew the Artemis I mission and now, Pavicic is working as one of the operations project engineers, continuing to help the launch team develop new launch commit criteria and procedures within the launch countdown ahead of Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission, which will send four astronauts around the Moon and back in 10 days next year.
About the Author
Antonia Jaramillo
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Last Updated Jul 09, 2025 Related Terms
Kennedy Space Center Artemis Exploration Ground Systems I Am Artemis Explore More
3 min read Aaisha Ali: From Marine Biology to the Artemis Control Room
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By NASA
As humanity prepares to return to the lunar surface, Aaisha Ali is behind the scenes ensuring mission readiness for astronauts set to orbit the Moon during Artemis II.
Ali is the Artemis ground control flight lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. She makes sure her team has the resources needed for the next giant leap to the Moon and beyond.
Aaisha Ali on console in the International Space Station Flight Control Room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Robert Markowitz My passion has always been science. I started by exploring the ocean, and now I get to help explore the stars.
Aaisha Ali
Artemis Ground Control Flight Lead
Ali received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas A&M University at Galveston before beginning a career as a marine biologist. Her curiosity about science and communication eventually led her from studying marine life to sharing NASA’s mission with the public. With a robust skill set that includes public relations, media relations, and strategic communications, she went on to work at Space Center Houston and later at Johnson on the protocol and digital imagery teams.
Today, Ali leads the ground control team supporting Artemis II, ensuring that systems, simulations, and procedures are ready for the mission. Her role includes developing flight rules, finalizing operations plans and leading training sessions – known as “network sims” – that prepare her team to respond quickly and effectively.
“Because I’ve had a multifaceted career path, it has given me a different outlook,” she said. “Diversity of mindsets helps us approach problems. Sometimes a different angle is exactly what we need.”
Aaisha Ali, right, with her two siblings. Her perspective was also shaped by visits to her grandmother in the Caribbean as a child. “She lived in the tropical forest in a small village in Trinidad,” Ali said. “I was fortunate enough to spend summers on the island and experience a different way of life, which has helped me grow into the person I am today.”
Communication, she explained, is just as critical as technical expertise. “When we report to the flight director, we are the experts in our system. But we have to be clear and concise. You don’t get a lot of time on the flight loop to explain.”
That clarity, humility, and sense of teamwork are values Ali says have shaped her journey.
Aaisha Ali participates in a public affairs event at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston in 2005. We don’t do it by ourselves. Everyone — from our engineers to custodial staff to cafeteria workers — plays a role in getting us to the Moon. NASA is for the world. And it takes all of us.
Aaisha ali
Artemis Ground Control Flight Lead
Looking ahead, Ali is especially passionate about inspiring the Artemis Generation — those who will one day explore the Moon and Mars. She often shares advice with her nieces and nephews, including one determined nephew who has dreamed of becoming an astronaut since age 7.
“Do what you love, and NASA will find a place for you,” she said. “NASA is a big place. If you love the law, we have lawyers. If you love art, science, or technology, there’s a place for you. Passion is what we’re looking for.”
Aaisha Ali at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. In her free time, Ali enjoys photography and connecting with nature by camping and visiting national parks. She also loves planning trips to Walt Disney World, meeting new people, experiencing different cultures, and learning new things.
Even as her days are packed with simulations and mission prep, Ali knows landing astronauts on the lunar surface for Artemis III is not far behind.
“There’s a lot of uphill left to climb,” she said. “But we’re ready.”
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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Since launching in 2023, NASA’s Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution mission, or TEMPO, has been measuring the quality of the air we breathe from 22,000 miles above the ground. June 19 marked the successful completion of TEMPO’s 20-month-long initial prime mission, and based on the quality of measurements to date, the mission has been extended through at least September 2026. The TEMPO mission is NASA’s first to use a spectrometer to gather hourly air quality data continuously over North America during daytime hours. It can see details down to just a few square miles, a significant advancement over previous satellites.
“NASA satellites have a long history of missions lasting well beyond the primary mission timeline. While TEMPO has completed its primary mission, the life for TEMPO is far from over,” said Laura Judd, research physical scientist and TEMPO science team member at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “It is a big jump going from once-daily images prior to this mission to hourly data. We are continually learning how to use this data to interpret how emissions change over time and how to track anomalous events, such as smoggy days in cities or the transport of wildfire smoke.”
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By measuring nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO), TEMPO can derive the presence of near-surface ozone. On Aug. 2, 2024 over Houston, TEMPO observed exceptionally high ozone levels in the area. On the left, NO2 builds up in the atmosphere over the city and over the Houston Ship Channel. On the right, formaldehyde levels are seen reaching a peak in the early afternoon. Formaldehyde is largely formed through the oxidation of hydrocarbons, an ingredient of ozone production, such as those that can be emitted by petrochemical facilities found in the Houston Ship Channel. Trent Schindler/NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio When air quality is altered by smog, wildfire smoke, dust, or emissions from vehicle traffic and power plants, TEMPO detects the trace gases that come with those effects. These include nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and formaldehyde in the troposphere, the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
“A major breakthrough during the primary mission has been the successful test of data delivery in under three hours with the help of NASA’s Satellite Needs Working Group. This information empowers decision-makers and first responders to issue timely air quality warnings and help the public reduce outdoor exposure during times of higher pollution,” said Hazem Mahmoud, lead data scientist at NASA’s Atmospheric Science Data Center located at Langley Research Center.
…the substantial demand for TEMPO's data underscores its critical role…
hazem mahmoud
NASA Data Scientist
TEMPO data is archived and distributed freely through the Atmospheric Science Data Center. “The TEMPO mission has set a groundbreaking record as the first mission to surpass two petabytes, or 2 million gigabytes, of data downloads within a single year,” said Mahmoud. “With over 800 unique users, the substantial demand for TEMPO’s data underscores its critical role and the immense value it provides to the scientific community and beyond.” Air quality forecasters, atmospheric scientists, and health researchers make up the bulk of the data users so far.
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On April 14, strong winds triggered the formation of a huge dust storm in the U.S. central plains and fueled the ignition of grassland fires in Oklahoma. On the left, the NO2 plumes originating from the grassland fires are tracked hour-by-hour by TEMPO. Smoke can be discerned from dust as a source since dust is not a source of NO2. The animation on the right shows the ultraviolet (UV) aerosol index, which indicates particulates in the atmosphere that absorb UV light, such as dust and smoke. Trent Schindler/NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio The TEMPO mission is a collaboration between NASA and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, whose Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian oversees daily operations of the TEMPO instrument and produces data products through its Instrument Operations Center.
Datasets from TEMPO will be expanded through collaborations with partner agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is deriving aerosol products that can distinguish between smoke and dust particles and offer insights into their altitude and concentration.
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On May 5, TEMPO measured NO2 emissions over the Twin Cities in the center of Minnesota during morning rush hour. The NO2 increases seen mid-day through the early evening hours are illustrated by the red and black shaded areas at the Red River Valley along the North Dakota state line. These levels are driven by emissions from the soils in agriculturally rich areas. Agricultural soil emissions are influenced by environmental factors like temperature and moisture as well as fertilizer application. Small fires and enhancements from mining activities can also be seen popping up across the region through the afternoon.Trent Schindler/NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio “These datasets are being used to inform the public of rush-hour pollution, air quality alerts, and the movement of smoke from forest fires,” said Xiong Liu, TEMPO’s principal investigator at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian. “The library will soon grow with the important addition of aerosol products. Users will be able to use these expanded TEMPO products for air quality monitoring, improving forecast models, deriving pollutant amounts in emissions and many other science applications.”
The TEMPO mission detects and highlights movement of smoke originating from fires burning in Manitoba on June 2. Seen in purple hues are observations made by TEMPO in the ultraviolet spectrum compared to Advanced Baseline Imagers (ABIs) on NOAA’s GOES-R series of weather satellites that do not have the needed spectral coverage. The NOAA GOES-R data paired with NASA’s TEMPO data enhance state and local agencies’ ability to provide near-real-time smoke and dust impacts in local air quality forecasts.NOAA/NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications and Research “The TEMPO data validation has truly been a community effort with over 20 agencies at the federal and international level, as well as a community of over 200 scientists at research and academic institutions,” Judd added. “I look forward to seeing how TEMPO data will help close knowledge gaps about the timing, sources, and evolution of air pollution from this unprecedented space-based view.”
An agency review will take place in the fall to assess TEMPO’s achievements and extended mission goals and identify lessons learned that can be applied to future missions.
The TEMPO mission is part of NASA’s Earth Venture Instrument program, which includes small, targeted science investigations designed to complement NASA’s larger research missions. The instrument also forms part of a virtual constellation of air quality monitors for the Northern Hemisphere which includes South Korea’s Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer and ESA’s (European Space Agency) Sentinel-4 satellite. TEMPO was built by BAE Systems Inc., Space & Mission Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace). It flies onboard the Intelsat 40e satellite built by Maxar Technologies. The TEMPO Instrument Operations Center and the Science Data Processing Center are operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge.
For more information about the TEMPO instrument and mission, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/tempo/
About the Author
Charles G. Hatfield
Science Public Affairs Officer, NASA Langley Research Center
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Last Updated Jul 03, 2025 LocationNASA Langley Research Center Related Terms
Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) Earth Earth Science Earth Science Division General Langley Research Center Missions Science Mission Directorate Explore More
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