00:004, 3, 2, 1, booster ignition and lift off. The crew of Artemis II now bound for the moon.
00:10Humanity's next great voyage begins. Camila Lean has been instrumental in the design of the Orion
00:17crew module, the spacecraft now carrying astronauts safely to and from deep space.
00:23Her work on the program dates back more than 20 years, helping shape what is now a historic mission.
00:30We're talking about 20 years ago. I served as the first Orion crew module systems integration and test manager.
00:43What does that mean? In the very early days, 20 years ago, we started designing the spacecraft
00:48and so developing the requirements, trying to understand what we wanted the spacecraft to do,
00:55where we wanted it to go. And so developing the requirements, integrating all of the systems
01:02together and testing it on the ground, developing a test campaign on the ground before you fly it
01:09so you understand how it performs. And that was my role 20 years ago, really critical role in the
01:16initial design of the spacecraft. And being part of history is something Camille says still leaves
01:22her in awe. It's extraordinary. I've been glued to the broadcast, like millions of people around the
01:31world. And you have to know, these are my former teammates. These are friends. These are people I
01:38worked with for years at NASA. And so I was there when the announcement was made, selecting this crew.
01:45I was in the room. So seeing them execute this mission so flawlessly has been extraordinary.
01:52And to know that I've been a part of this historic mission in a small way is just beyond an
01:59honor and a
02:00privilege. And for those wondering, the goal of this mission goes far beyond exploring landing on the moon.
02:06It's about building a long term human presence. So the goal of this current moon mission is to
02:14establish a human presence on the moon in the very near future. And this is the first step to doing
02:22that. So this particular mission, Artemis 2, it has really two objectives. One is the technology
02:28objectives. Can we fly these humans in this spacecraft successfully, right? We're testing out
02:38the environmental control systems on the way, on the return back to Earth and re-entry. We're testing
02:44out the thermal protection system. So really testing out all the technologies because astronauts have
02:51never flown in this space vehicle before. The second objective is science, right? We're really interested
03:00in the moon because it tells us a lot about the history, not just of our Earth, but of our
03:07solar
03:07system. And so having the astronauts fly orbit the far side of the moon, which is the side that we
03:15never
03:15see from Earth and observe all the geological features that they can see from that vantage point,
03:24allows scientists to discover things they've never been able to discover before. And in doing so,
03:33help us learn about the moon and where we'd like to land astronauts in the future.
03:39So why return to the moon? Decades ago, it was about exploration. Today, it's about preparation,
03:46preparing for the next giant leap. Well, we want to return to the moon sustainably and to stay,
03:55develop a presence, a permanent presence, especially at the South Pole, where we know
04:01there's evidence of water ice, which can help us as a stepping stone for sending humans to Mars.
04:09And when can we expect humans to set foot on the moon again? The timeline could be sooner than many
04:16think. We hope within the next two to three years, you know, with again, the vehicle is performing
04:23flawlessly. But space travel is not without its risk from radiation exposure to operating far from Earth
04:30and the challenge of bringing astronauts safely home. Ultimately, success comes down to one critical
04:37question. Are all the systems and the vehicle working as designed? The answer is yes so far. But success at
04:46the end will be, will we return them safely to Earth? And while the mission is highly technical,
04:56daily life in space remains uniquely human. So if you're wondering what they're eating in space,
05:02nothing different than what we're eating right here at home. They're eating regular food. I heard this
05:08morning when they woke up for breakfast, they had eggs and fruit and coffee and tortillas. And so
05:16they're eating regular food. It may not be packaged the same way we package it on Earth. As NASA prepares
05:23for
05:23future Artemis missions, Camille Alleyne's work continues to push the boundaries of exploration,
05:29proving that even from a small island, you can help shape humanity's journey to the stars.
05:34Well, it's just an honor and a privilege to have had the type of career I've had at NASA almost
05:4030 years
05:41of working on some of the most consequential human space flights, and being at the forefront in leadership,
05:49leading some of these programs. So it's been an honor and a privilege. And my message to
05:57young people who are interested in engineering and science and technology is to find your passion.
06:06There's no substitute for that. Find your passion. And with determination, hard work and perseverance,
06:14you will do well, you will excel.
06:17And when asked whether she hopes to one day visit the moon herself, her answer was clear.
06:23Absolutely. It's been a lifelong dream to fly in space. And so keeping my fingers crossed that one
06:33day I will get there.
06:34With 10 days for this journey, we're now on the seventh day and the astronauts are now making
06:39their way home and they're leaving this message to us.
06:42And so as we prepare to go out of radio communication, we're still going to feel your love from earth.
06:51And to all of you down there on earth and around earth, we love you from the moon.
06:58Houston copies. We'll see you on the other side.
07:00Rochelle Edwards, TV6 News.
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