Listen to this audio excerpt from Anton Kiriwas, senior technical integration manager for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program:

When Anton Kiriwas first spotted an image of the Moon and Mars hanging over a job fair booth while in college, it captured his imagination, yet felt like a dream too distant to chase. He had no way of knowing that years later he would play a critical role in NASA’s Artemis missions, helping launch humans back to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.

Kiriwas’ journey to NASA began during the Space Shuttle Program, while he was working for United Launch Alliance, the same organization behind the memorable Moon and Mars booth that he passed by in college. Not long after, he joined NASA as a civil servant, designing electrical systems that set him on a path toward his current role with Exploration Ground Systems as senior technical integration manager. In simpler terms, Kiriwas is a problem solver.

A core part of Kiriwas’s role is to serve as a launch project engineer. Strategically positioned at the integration console in the center of Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, he acts as a bridge for the test management and engineering teams. Kiriwas, along with the other launch project engineers, reports directly to the launch director, making the final technical recommendation on any issues that may arise during launch countdown. From this seat, he works across all engineering disciplines, united under one mission: launch the spacecraft and crew safely.

Despite the intensity of launch day, Kiriwas describes it can often feel easier than the hundreds of rehearsals and simulations leading up to it. The team trains rigorously, preparing for every scenario imaginable. The ideal day is smooth and uneventful, but when it’s not, he and the team are ready.

When an issue arises, Kiriwas and his team begin asking the basic questions: ‘What are the requirements? Which systems are affected? Who needs to be involved?’ He pulls the technical community together to work through the situation, come up with any troubleshooting, and ultimately give the recommendation for a “go” or “no-go” for launch. It takes clarity, experience, and discipline, especially in moments when excitement is running high.

“There is adrenaline to get to launch, but you want to be careful to never let that turn into ‘launch fever,’” said Kiriwas. “We need to launch exactly when we’re ready and not a moment before.”

With Artemis II complete, Kiriwas continues applying his problem‑solving expertise, analyzing lessons learned, and shaping future mission requirements. Artemis III hardware is currently being processed at NASA Kennedy, and the teams are carefully preparing the next steps of NASA’s return to the lunar surface.

“There’s a million little pieces that go into this, and I get to be a part of it,” said Kiriwas.