Planning your photo ops for a trip around the moon
Get the full intelligence
Search transcripts, export clips, track mentions, and explore all topics from “Planning your photo ops for a trip around the moon” inside PodZeus.
In this episode of Science Friday, host Flora Lichtman interviews Dr. Kelsey Young, Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead at NASA's Science Mission Directorate, about her pivotal role in planning and executing the scientific photography and observation objectives for the Artemis II lunar flyby. Young explains how human astronauts provided irreplaceable scientific value through real-time verbal descriptions of lunar features—capturing color nuances and lighting details that cameras alone could not—highlighting the unique contribution of human perception in space exploration. She details the development of the Lunar Targeting Package, a tool used to prioritize over 150 lunar features across 10 scientific objectives, and describes the intense collaboration among lunar science theme leads to ensure balanced coverage. The episode also explores the excitement of witnessing impact flashes—tiny meteoroid strikes creating brief flashes on the moon’s surface—confirming a key science goal and offering insights into the moon’s current surface activity. Young reflects on the emotional and professional fulfillment of pioneering a new role in NASA’s mission structure, balancing her passion for science with family life and her desire to inspire future generations, especially young girls in STEM. Key takeaways include: human eyes provide unique scientific value beyond camera data through nuanced visual observations; real-time verbal descriptions from astronauts are a critical data source for lunar science; mission success relies on interdisciplinary teamwork and agile planning; the Artemis II mission marked the first time human eyes observed certain parts of the moon’s far side; and public engagement and inspiration are central to the mission’s broader impact. The episode concludes with a heartfelt reflection on the balance between professional ambition and family, underscoring the importance of role models in science.
Human visual perception captures subtle color and lighting details that cameras alone miss, providing unique scientific value.
Real-time verbal descriptions from astronauts are a high-priority data set for lunar science, offering nuanced observations impossible to extract from images alone.
The Lunar Targeting Package enabled strategic selection of over 150 lunar features across 10 scientific objectives, ensuring broad scientific coverage.
Impact flashes—brief flashes from tiny meteoroid impacts—were observed during Artemis II, confirming a key science objective and advancing understanding of the moon’s current surface activity.
The Artemis II mission was the first crewed flight to observe certain parts of the moon’s far side and the first to implement a new, integrated lunar science operations structure.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to the Moon: Introducing Dr. Kelsey Young
Flora Lichtman introduces Dr. Kelsey Young, Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead at NASA, and sets the stage for the episode by highlighting her role in the Artemis II mission and the unique science operations she helped pioneer.
The Science of Human Observation: Why Astronauts' Voices Matter
“An example of that would be, of course, Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmidt describing the orange soil discovery on one of his spacewalks during the mission. And he saw this, you know, you hear it in his voice. He's like, orange soil, oh my gosh. And he ultimately collected that sample because he saw that color nuance and took that sample back.”
Planning the Lunar Photo Ops: The Lunar Targeting Package
“We had 10 objectives, as I said. And so we had kind of a group, you know, we just have an amazing lunar science team. Oh my gosh, I could talk about them for way more time than you have. But for actual operations, we were kind of, you know, divided across two rooms and multiple shifts.”
The Moment of Discovery: Impact Flashes on the Moon
“You know, we had conversations certainly, of course, for months and months on our team of like, Are we going to see any? And so, of course, team members had different predictions for if we would see any and if so, how many. I did not. So what you saw was reflective of my complete shock that they saw any and that they saw multiple.”
Human Eyes vs. Machines: The Unique Value of Field Scientists in Space
Young contrasts the capabilities of orbiting spacecraft like LRO with human astronauts, emphasizing that human observation tells the story of a field expedition and integrates science into mission operations.
“You know, we had conversations certainly, of course, for months and months on our team of like, Are we going to see any? And so, of course, team members had different predictions for if we would see any and if so, how many. I did not. So what you saw was reflective of my complete shock that they saw any and that they saw multiple.”
“I just really hope and I believe that when they get a little older and understand the impact, they'll understand why and that I did so to prioritize them and also show them what I do and show its importance and show, frankly... women in science and engineering fields going out and pursuing something that I really believe in.”
“An example of that would be, of course, Apollo 17 astronaut Jack Schmidt describing the orange soil discovery on one of his spacewalks during the mission. And he saw this, you know, you hear it in his voice. He's like, orange soil, oh my gosh. And he ultimately collected that sample because he saw that color nuance and took that sample back.”
Host
Guest
Dr. Kelsey Young
person
NASA
organization
Artemis II
other
Flora Lichtman
person
LRO
other
Orion
other
Apollo 17
other
LOLA
other
Jack Schmidt
person
SLS
other
Harnessing the superpowers of silk
Science Friday • 18m • 3/31/2026
How to poop better, according to a gastroenterologist
Science Friday • 28m • 4/1/2026
Should Pluto be a planet again?
Science Friday • 19m • 4/2/2026
Artemis II test flight heads toward the moon
Science Friday • 18m • 4/3/2026
Can algae help pull microplastics out of our water supply?
Science Friday • 13m • 4/6/2026
Get the full intelligence
Search transcripts, export clips, track mentions, and explore all topics from “Planning your photo ops for a trip around the moon” inside PodZeus.
Start discovering podcast insights today
Start with a 7-day trial and explore a growing catalog of popular podcasts. No credit card required.
No credit card required • 7-day trial • Cancel anytime