Listen to this audio excerpt from Kathleen Harmon, the Artemis II Mission Interface Manager for NASA's Deep Space Network:
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Captivated by Apollo launches on her television as a child, Kathleen Harmon now plays a key role in NASA's Artemis program.
Harmon serves as the Artemis II mission interface manager for NASA's Deep Space Network, an international array of giant radio antennas which are used to communicate with spacecraft. Managed by the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the Deep Space Network is the largest scientific telecommunications system in the world, supporting more than 40 missions exploring deep space. The network is also a key component of NASA's Moon-bound Artemis missions.
"If you're in a car and you're going somewhere and you don't have GPS or a cellphone, you might get lost, or you might not be able to tell someone that you're lost," said Harmon, illustrating how the Deep Space Network "talks" to spacecraft. "The network provides that lifeline to spacecraft across the solar system, and even interstellar space, so that they can talk to Earth and send back amazing science data, images, and videos from Mars rovers, space telescopes, orbiters, and more."
In her role as a mission interface manager, and with her background as a systems engineer and decades of experience with NASA, Harmon prepares missions for launch and operations. This role requires careful coordination and collaboration across international partners, as the Deep Space Network's radio antennas are spread around the world. She was responsible for ensuring the Deep Space Network was prepared to support the Artemis II spacecraft before launch.
