Sian Cleaver, a 36-year-old aerospace engineer at Airbus in Germany, has been a key player in the engineering work to support the upcoming Artemis II mission. This thrilling mission will launch later this week! Regardless of the date, this mission is historic. Soaring to new heights, this will be the farthest humans have ventured from the Moon since 1972. Cleaver’s contributions specifically include the development of the propulsion system for the Orion spacecraft, which will be used during this historic journey.
Cleaver, who grew up in Chelmsford, works at Airbus in Bremen as an engineer. There, she and her team are focused on designing solar arrays to provide power to the European Service Module’s large solar arrays. This module will help fuel the Artemis II mission. Packed with cutting-edge technology, it will carry four astronauts on one incredible ten-day journey around the Moon. No matter what, this mission will be a big step in our continuing path to the Moon. It’s a critical proving ground for our eventual journeys to Mars.
David Morris, the 65-year-old chief engineer for space imaging at Teledyne e2v in Chelmsford, has made substantial contributions to space exploration. His main area of expertise is in the production of space imaging equipment which is used in deep space missions. Unlike Cleaver’s innovative work, some of his personal work has taken on the form of spoken word poetry.
As Artemis II gets ready to launch on its historic mission, Cleaver looks back on her work with satisfaction. “Helping humans to the Moon is a dream come true,” she stated. Her dedication to advancing space technology highlights the teamwork and ingenuity that truly powers these missions. The European Service Module is the key to keeping the spacecraft alive as it travels. It’s studded with solar arrays that she helped to architect.
The Artemis II mission’s crew will be responsible for testing new systems and new procedures required for future crews to land on the lunar surface. This mission will be the first Artemis program. This mission is a key element of NASA’s broader Artemis program. Its goal is to get humans back to the Moon and prepare for future crewed missions to Mars. With Artemis II, NASA aims to collect data and operational experience that will benefit and educate future missions as they explore deeper into space.