Meet Emily Lemmons, Systems Engineer for Gateway’s Habitation and Logistics Outpost
Growing up near NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Emily Lemmons developed an early fascination with the aerospace industry that, years later, has led to her work on next-generation NASA projects.
Lemmons began her NASA journey as a summer intern with Booz Allen Hamilton working on first the iCAMMP (internal configuration analysis modeling and mass properties) team, and then the MAGIK (manipulator analysis, graphics, and interactive kinematics) project for the International Space Station. It was experience that she says equipped her for a full-time role at the agency.
Moving from low-earth orbit, to orbit around the Moon, Lemmons now works on the Gateway space station’s Habitation and Logistic Outpost (HALO) project as a systems engineer. On this team, Lemmons coordinates important milestones like the recent delivery of the HALO mock-up to Johnson’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, where it will be used to train Artemis crew. The HALO Systems Team will ensure a successful integration of the HALO module before its launch to deep space, where it will support Artemis missions on and around the Moon, starting with Artemis IV.
Where did you grow up and when/how did you become interested in a career at NASA?
“Growing up in League City, Texas, which is approximately 10 miles from the Johnson Space Center, I have always been fascinated with the space industry. Since deciding to pursue a career in engineering, I have wanted to work in space exploration.”
How long have you been at NASA?
“I have been a contractor for NASA for just over four years. I had two summer internships with the agency before being hired fulltime.”
What has been your favorite memory while working at NASA?
“It’s difficult to only pick one memory, but the first one to come to mind is viewing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) during a viewing for Johnson Space Center employees in the Chamber A [vacuum chamber, where it was tested before launching into space]. I was fascinated with the JWST and what we would learn from it in operation. Having the opportunity to view it on the ground was very exciting and seeing the hardware in person put into perspective how much the agency is accomplishing. I knew I would be returning for another internship at NASA.”
What excites you most about Gateway and its role in Artemis missions?
“We’re entering the next frontier. Gateway and Artemis missions are the building blocks for getting boots on the Moon and eventually Mars!”
Being surrounded by such a high-performing group of people, what’s a great piece of advice you would give to someone interested in your role?
“Take your time and learn from those around you! Not only are my colleagues some of the smartest people I have met, but they are willing to take time to pass along their knowledge, which is invaluable. So, make sure you’re learning from those around you.”
What are five words your friends/family would use to describe you?
“Determined, empathetic, reliable, passionate, and diligent.”
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The Gateway program is an international collaboration to establish humanity’s first space station around the Moon, an essential element of NASA’s Artemis missions. Gateway will host many capabilities for sustained exploration and research in deep space, including docking ports for a variety of visiting spacecraft, space for crew to live and work, and onboard science investigations to study heliophysics, human health, and life sciences, among other areas. Gateway will be a critical platform for developing technology and capabilities to support future Mars exploration.