Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
For seven hours, Notre Dame alumna Kelsey Young ’09 sat in NASA mission control, listening as astronauts described the moon in real time from a vantage point no human had ever experienced before.
Young is NASA’s first science officer and the lunar science lead for the Artemis II mission. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, she explains how her role is shaping the future of human space exploration and how human observation became one of the mission’s most valuable scientific tools.
She also reflects on the path that led her to NASA, her Notre Dame education, and what’s next as scientists begin analyzing data from this historic mission.
Listen and subscribe to Notre Dame Stories (stories.nd.edu/podcast)
Episode page: (stories.nd.edu/podcast/inside-artemis-2-mission-control/)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:03 Inside NASA Mission Control
02:29 First Science Officer
07:14 The People of Artemis II
10:22 From Notre Dame to NASA
14:47 Post-Artemis II: What's Next?
For seven hours, Notre Dame alumna Kelsey Young ’09 sat in NASA mission control, listening as astronauts described the moon in real time from a vantage point no human had ever experienced before.
Young is NASA’s first science officer and the lunar science lead for the Artemis II mission. In this episode of Notre Dame Stories, she explains how her role is shaping the future of human space exploration and how human observation became one of the mission’s most valuable scientific tools.
She also reflects on the path that led her to NASA, her Notre Dame education, and what’s next as scientists begin analyzing data from this historic mission.
Listen and subscribe to Notre Dame Stories (stories.nd.edu/podcast)
Episode page: (stories.nd.edu/podcast/inside-artemis-2-mission-control/)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:03 Inside NASA Mission Control
02:29 First Science Officer
07:14 The People of Artemis II
10:22 From Notre Dame to NASA
14:47 Post-Artemis II: What's Next?
