Episode•August 21, 2026•38 min
Artemis III Training
NASA Artemis III Chief Training Officer Debbie O’Connell discusses how the crew is preparing for one of NASA’s most challenging missions yet. Episode 434
Key Takeaways
- 1
Training for Artemis III is a dynamic, iterative process
Unlike the mature ISS program, Artemis III training involves developing operational concepts and procedures in parallel with vehicle development.
The team utilizes a 'fast and furious' approach, introducing crew members to complex simulations early in their training cycle.
- 2
The role of the Chief Training Officer (CTO) requires balancing technical expertise with human management
Debbie O'Connell highlights how her experience as a mother helps her manage chaos, adapt to different learning styles, and maintain a 'mom-of-air' voice during high-stakes simulations.
The CTO is responsible for managing hardware, software, facilities, and a team of instructors to ensure the crew is mission-ready.
- 3
Data-driven training improvements
New capabilities allow for the playback of simulation performance, enabling instructors to review teamwork, verbiage, and display interactions with the crew.
Real-world data from Artemis II is being incorporated into simulations, including updated audio files to increase fidelity.
- 4
The goal of training is to prepare for the unexpected
The crew spends the majority of their time training for worst-case scenarios and malfunctions.
The ultimate goal is to build a team that can solve problems together in a timely fashion, even if the specific scenarios trained never occur during the mission.
Intro
- In this episode, NASA's Artemis III Chief Training Officer Debbie O'Connell discusses the intensive preparations for one of the agency's most challenging missions: returning humans to the lunar surface.
- Debbie O'Connell is the Chief Training Officer for Artemis III. With 15 years at NASA, she previously served as an ETHOS flight controller for the International Space Station and worked on the development of commercial crew vehicles like Dragon and Starliner.
– Introduction to Artemis III Training
- Host Leah Cheshire introduces the Artemis III crew and their Chief Training Officer, Debbie O'Connell, who is tasked with preparing the crew for every phase of the mission from launch to splashdown.
– Debbie O'Connell's Path to NASA
- Debbie shares her journey from studying aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle to becoming a flight controller and eventually the CTO for the Artemis program.
I was one of those kids that anything sounded awesome. I couldn't decide on what I wanted to be. So I did go into engineering.
– The Unexpected Skills of a CTO
- Debbie explains how her experience as a mother has been unexpectedly useful in managing the high-pressure environment of astronaut training.
It is definitely helps me deal with the chaos better to let go. The mom of air voice comes in handy when you're running big events as well.
– Lessons Learned from Artemis II
- Debbie discusses building upon the foundation laid by Artemis II, specifically the use of simulation playback and real-world audio data to increase training fidelity.
– Training Structure and Crew Dynamics
- The crew's training is divided into fundamentals, burn procedures, and malfunction scenarios. Debbie highlights the unique strengths of each crew member, including their test pilot and medical backgrounds.
– Critical Mission Phases and Future Outlook
- Rendezvous and docking with commercial landers are identified as the most critical and untested phases of the mission. Debbie emphasizes that Artemis III is a vital test flight for future lunar exploration.
Topics
Artemis IIINASAAstronaut TrainingSpace ExplorationOrion SpacecraftLeadershipAerospace Engineering