Idaho State Geologist Helping NASA Prep for 2025 Crewed Moon Mission

At present, Shannon Kobs Nawotniak, affiliate professor of geosciences, is serving as a member of NASA’s Joint EVA Take a look at Staff (JETT) 3.  The JETT 3 Staff is accountable for making ready the astronauts to conduct the experiments which are deliberate for the Artemis III mission via simulated missions on Earth. Planning to launch in 2025, Artemis III is slated to be the primary crewed moon touchdown for the reason that Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

“Throughout the Apollo missions, astronauts have been virtually all take a look at pilots. Just one geologist was ever despatched to the moon, although a lot of the analysis that was achieved is expounded to geology,” mentioned Kob Nawotniak. “The Artemis astronats will embody geologists, biologists, and different scientists, and we’re determining methods to assist them from Earth. There might be so much using on their shoulders, and they’ll want lively assist from Mission Management to do good science whereas they’re up there.”

The expertise has additionally led to her working side-by-side with a former pupil, Angela Garcia. Garcia earned a grasp’s diploma in geology from Idaho State and now works for NASA as an exploration geoscientist, making assessments like JETT 3 attainable. Garcia works each day to combine science into human spaceflight to arrange for Artemis missions that can discover the Moon.

“It was a real privilege to work alongside Shannon on the JETT 3 science crew,” mentioned Garcia. “As my former advisor, Shannon taught and exemplified methods to foster wholesome relationships with colleagues and methods to be a pacesetter and follower. These classes have been important in my profession, and I’m so grateful to have had a job mannequin like Shannon cheering me on each step of the best way.”

“It is extremely thrilling to be a part of the crew that is setting the stage for people to return to the Moon,” Kobs Nawotniak mentioned. “It has been doubly great to work on this venture as a result of I get to work with Angela once more and see how she’s taken issues that we wrestled with when she was a graduate pupil at ISU and brought their options to a complete new degree.” 

The JETT 3 Staff has been working with astronauts at websites across the nation to assist higher put together the astronauts for his or her time on the lunar floor. Not too long ago, Kobs Nawotniak frolicked in Arizona serving to with a moonwalking take a look at mission. 

“We have been doing a variety of preparatory work on this for years right here in Idaho, together with at Craters of the Moon Nationwide Monument and Protect, and I am thrilled to see that work getting included into the JETT 3 structure and past,” Kobs Nawotniak mentioned. 

Kobs Nawotniak’s work on JETT 3 marks the most recent time she’s labored with NASA. Beforehand, she was the Deputy Principal Investigator for the Biologic Analog Science Related to Lava Terrains venture, Geology Co-Lead for Area Investigations to Allow Photo voltaic system Science and Exploration venture, and a co-investigator on the Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog. She’s additionally had a variety of analysis tasks funded by NASA grants.  

“House exploration has all the time been fascinating to me, but it surely by no means occurred to me rising up that I’d sometime truly be working with NASA to make it occur,” mentioned Kobs Nawotniak. “Possibly sometime I will be cool sufficient for it to all appear regular, however I have been working with NASA for near a decade now and I have never gotten there but.”

For extra info on ISU’s Division of Geosciences, go to isu.edu/geosciences.