For Jaclyn Kagey, preparing astronauts to put boots on the Moon is part of her daily work. 

As the Artemis extravehicular activity lead in NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate, Kagey plays a central role in preparing astronauts to safely explore the lunar surface. 

During Artemis missions, astronauts will explore the Moon’s South Pole, a region never visited by humans, paving the way for future deep space exploration.  

Kagey helps define how astronauts will work on the Moon, from planning detailed spacewalk timelines to guiding real-time operations. Crews will conduct these activities after stepping outside NASA’s human landing system, a commercial lander designed to safely transport astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface and back.  

Kagey’s NASA career spans more than 25 years and includes work across some of the agency’s most complex programs.  

While studying at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, she watched space shuttle launches that solidified her goal of working at NASA. “From a young age, my aspirations were singularly focused on contributing to the nation’s aircraft and spaceflight endeavors,” she said. 

That goal became reality through United Space Alliance, where she and her husband began their careers as contractors.  

One of her career-defining moments came during a high-pressure operation aboard the International Space Station. 

“I’ve planned and executed seven spacewalks, but one that stands out was U.S. EVA 21,” she said. “We had a critical ammonia leak on the station, and from the time the issue was identified, we had just 36 hours to plan, prepare the spacesuits, and execute the repair.” 

The team successfully completed the spacewalk and restored the system. “The agility, dedication, and teamwork shown during that operation were remarkable,” Kagey said. “It demonstrated what this team can accomplish under pressure.” 

Throughout her career, Kagey has learned that adaptability is an essential skill. 

“Things rarely go exactly as planned, and my job is to respond in a way that keeps the crew safe and the mission moving forward,” she said.  

Kagey’s influence also extends to the future of spacesuit development. Standing on the shorter end of the height spectrum, she once could not complete a full test in the legacy Extravehicular Mobility Unit despite passing the fit check. Although Kagey could don the suit, its proportions were too large for her and made it difficult to move as needed for the test. That experience drove her to advocate for designs that better support a wider range of body types.  

That effort came full circle when she recently completed her first test in Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit, called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), on the Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) at Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

“It’s exciting to literally fit into the future of spacewalks!” Kagey said.