Inside the Role of NASA Operations Manager Allison Mjoen for the Artemis Program
NASA
- Allison Mjoen, an operations manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems program, oversees the ground operations and integration plans necessary to return humans to the Moon.
- Her 20-year career at Kennedy Space Center spans the Space Shuttle Program, the International Space Station (ISS), and now the Artemis missions.
Professional Background and Responsibilities
- Mjoen began as a flight crew systems engineer for the Space Shuttle, managing cabin configurations and crew equipment.
- She later served as a payload integration engineer for the ISS, acting as a liaison between experiment investigators and hardware developers.
- Currently, she works as the spacecraft offline operations manager, coordinating booster and Orion spacecraft processing alongside senior vehicle operations manager Matt Czech.
Mission Contributions and Insights
- Mjoen served as a certified operations project engineer during Artemis I, where she learned the critical importance of communication, preparation, and trust in a high-stakes environment.
- She emphasizes that every career step is a learning opportunity, noting that curiosity and building professional relationships are essential for success.
- Mjoen views the Artemis program as a way to inspire a new generation and create a long-term human presence on the lunar surface, building on the legacy of the Apollo era.