I Am Artemis: Allison Mjoen

Allison Mjoen, NASA's operations manager for the Exploration Ground Systems program, stood among the crowd at the Florida Space Coast on April 1, 2026. The bright sunlight illuminated the horizon, casting a crisp, vivid hue over the scene. As the crowd's voices soared with anticipation, a deep rumble resonated, signaling the imminent roar of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Mjoen and her children watched intently, their excitement palpable as they counted down to the moment of ignition.

The SLS rocket's initial roar shook the ground beneath their feet, a testament to the immense power behind the Artemis mission. For Mjoen, this moment marked the culmination of a lifelong commitment to space exploration. As the operations manager, she had played a pivotal role in shaping the systems and ground operations that would propel humans back to the Moon.

Her career began as a flight crew systems engineer with United Space Alliance, working on the Space Shuttle Program. She developed mission-specific cabin configurations, ensuring astronauts had everything they needed to conduct their missions. After the Space Shuttle Program's retirement, Mjoen transitioned to the International Space Station Program, where she served as a payload integration engineer.

This role required her to connect experiment investigators with the organizations developing their hardware, bridging the gap between research and execution.

Mjoen's expertise further expanded as she worked on the Test and Operations Support Contract, ultimately leading the Spacecraft Payloads Integration and Evolution Element for Artemis I. In these roles, she honed her skills in integration planning, ground operations, and coordination across teams. Her journey was not without challenges; she often reminded herself that every decision, no matter how small, was an opportunity to learn and grow.

Embracing a curious mindset, she built relationships and trusted in the process, knowing each step prepared her for the next.

That fateful day at the Florida Space Coast was more than just a launch; it was a reflection on the years of hard work and dedication that had brought her to this point. As she observed the spacecraft offline operations, Mjoen carried the lessons learned throughout her career. Collaboration, trust, and meticulous preparation were the cornerstones of her success, guiding her through the complexities of leading a mission that would redefine humanity's presence in space.