Tech Graduates Work on NASA’s Artemis, Host Astronaut Chat

NASA’s Artemis program plans to bring people back to the moon by 2024, and Georgia Tech graduates and students are among those who will help get them there.
Eric Boe and Shane Kimbrough. Image courtesy of NASA/Bill Stafford

Eric Boe and Shane Kimbrough. Image courtesy of NASA/Bill Stafford

NASA’s Artemis program plans to take people back to the moon by 2024, and Georgia Tech graduates and students are among those who will help get them there.

Eric Boe, who has a master’s degree in electrical engineering, and Shane Kimbrough, who holds a master’s degree in operations research, are both working on the Artemis program. They recently spoke with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the project and its goals, one of which is to put the first woman on the moon.

“Only 12 people have ever walked on the moon,” Kimbrough told the AJC. “All were American men. Putting the first female boots on the moon will inspire a new generation of students, especially girls, to pursue STEM fields.”

Doug Wheelock, a fellow NASA astronaut and Tech graduate who earned his master's degree in aerospace engineering, is also working on Artemis. He recently spoke (in a video posted on Twitter) on behalf of NASA about the project and how it will work.

The three astronauts and Yellow Jackets will participate in a live chat this week through Georgia Tech’s social media channels. They will be live Thursday, Sept. 19, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. EST via @georgiatech on Twitter and Instagram. Follow the conversation at  #SpaceJackets and #AstroChat.

Meanwhile, on campus, Tech students will be building cubesats, or small briefcase-sized satellites, for Artemis. Tech’s first cubesats were launched as part of a SpaceX project in December 2018.

Learn more about NASA's Artemis program.

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