Illinois
Illinois woman leads NASA’s Mission Evaluation Room for Artemis II
ILLINOIS – For the very first time, humanity is experiencing the far side of the Moon — a milestone reached Monday in NASA’s historic Artemis II mission.
The crewed Orion spacecraft is pushing new boundaries, made possible by the people supporting the mission from Earth.
Among them is an Illinois woman leading the team that is monitoring the spacecraft’s systems and ensuring its astronauts remain safe.
What we know:
Jennifer Madsen is playing a key role in the Artemis II mission from the Johnson Space Center in Houston — the heart of NASA’s spaceflight operations.
Inside the Mission Evaluation Room (MER), Madsen and her team serve as Orion’s life-support system — Earthside.
“It was definitely surreal to be here and see the launch, because myself and this whole team have been working for years designing and testing this spacecraft,” said Jennifer Madsen, lead of NASA’s Artemis II Orion Mission Evaluation Room.
During the 10-day mission, engineers are constantly analyzing the spacecraft’s in-flight systems and helping astronauts troubleshoot issues. It’s a job that doesn’t stop — from launch until splashdown.
“In the Mission Control Center, we have the Flight Control Room, where they’re sending communication back and forth with the spacecraft. In this room, our Orion engineers are watching all the data that’s coming from the spacecraft, trending to see if the vehicle is doing what we expect, talking with the Flight Control Team about things we want the spacecraft to do — or if the spacecraft is giving us a signature that we’re not expecting, doing some troubleshooting on that anomaly,” Madsen explained.
Dig deeper:
Madsen’s story begins in Illinois. She hails from the Quad Cities, where she attended Alleman High School in Rock Island. She then studied aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois before continuing her education in electrical engineering at the University of Houston — a path that prepared her to become the deputy manager for Orion’s Avionics, Power, and Software, and Mission Evaluation Room Lead.
“They’re going to be taking images, working with the scientists, examining the craters, looking at the different lighting conditions. And so, our team during that time is going to be having our eyes on the spacecraft while the crew has their eyes on the Moon,” Madsen said.
Just days before liftoff, Madsen visited the Adler Planetarium to discuss her role in the mission and answer questions from future scientists.
She says the most special part of this journey is taking humanity further than they’ve ever gone.
“That human portion of this mission is what’s really interesting, and it’s honestly where I think we’ve been learning the most about the spacecraft, because when we flew Artemis I, we did not have any people on it,” Madsen said. “The words that they’re bringing us, the pictures that they’ll be able to take is why we have this mission and we put humans on this spacecraft.”
What’s next:
Splashdown is scheduled for Friday, April 10. While the exact timing remains flexible, the spacecraft is projected to land in the Pacific Ocean around 7 p.m. Central Time.
You can track the progress of the Artemis II mission throughout its journey on NASA’s website.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago’s Kasey Chronis.
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – We’re learning more about the victims in Friday’s tragedy on Geneva Lake.
Three kids, ages 10, seven, and six, were killed after they were trapped in the sinking boat during the severe storms.
Officials won’t comment on their identities, but FOX6 learned at least two of them were students at the Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) in Wheaton, Illinois.
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The district released a statement, saying:
“On behalf of Community Unit School District 200, our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident in Lake Geneva on July 3. We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”
Lake Geneva Police Chief statement
What we know:
The City of Lake Geneva Police Department is opening up on the incident and the property destruction caused by the storms.
The police chief says, in part:
“In moments of tragedy, we often see the very best in people, and that has certainly been true here. While there is still healing ahead, I hope everyone knows how grateful we are for the outpouring of support shown over these past several days. It has been humbling to witness and a reminder that no one faces hardship alone when a community stands together.”
–Chief Ed Gritzner, City of Lake Geneva Police Department
The backstory:
Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.
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The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank.
Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts.
Emergency response on Geneva Lake after storms lead to calls for water rescue on July 3, 2026.
Who was on the boat?
The latest:
The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy.
The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.
The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.
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What happened on Geneva Lake?
Dig deeper:
Law enforcement said the boat operator had “extensive boating experience” and was unable to find safe harbor when the storm hit. At least two large waves broke over the bow, causing it to take on water. Another wave hit the side of the boat, causing it to roll, capsize and sink.
The sunken vessel was found in 32 feet of water, and three children were found inside the boat. Divers were able to get them out and bring them to the surface, and they were pronounced dead despite life-saving attempts. Investigators determined they had no external injuries and drowned.
What’s next:
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency are still conducting a joint investigation into the accident. Eleven other agencies assisted with the immediate needs.
The Source: Information in this post comes from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department and Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200), along with prior
Two people were shot, and one of them died, in an apartment in the north Chicago suburb of Mundelein on Tuesday morning.
At 11:40 am., Mundelein police were called to a building in the 500 block of Deepwoods Drive following the shooting.
They found two victims who had been shot. A woman was taken to an area hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, while a man died at the hospital, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office.
Mundelein police obtained a description of a suspect vehicle and broadcast it to other law enforcement agencies. Illinois State Police traced a car all the way to the Illinois-Indiana state line, where they pulled over the car and took a man and woman into custody.
Police believe the shooting was targeted and domestic in nature, the sheriff’s office said.
The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force and Mundelein police continued to investigate Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 1:19AM
MUNDELEIN, Ill. (WLS) — A motorcyclist was killed in a north suburban crash on Monday evening, police said.
Mundelein police said officers and members of the fire department responded to a crash involving a Suzuki motorcycle and a Honda SUV near Route 45 and Route 83 around 5:25 p.m.
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The motorcyclist, a 34-year-old man, was ejected, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene, and his name was not immediately released.
Police said the intersection was shut down but is expected to reopen around 8:30 p.m.
The Mundelein Police Department, the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, and the Lake County Coroner’s Office are investigating.
Authorities did not immediately provide further information.
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