Katie Spicer Leads Integration of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Lander for NASA’s Artemis Mission

Katie Spicer, NASA’s lander integration lead for Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2, is poised to shape the Artemis program’s historic lunar landings. Her role places her at the forefront of developing one of the commercially provided human landing systems that will carry astronauts back to the Moon.

Spicer serves in the Flight Operations Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where she evaluates and monitors the design and development of Blue Origin’s lander. The Blue Moon lander design is rapidly evolving as Blue Origin refines a streamlined test article for Artemis III’s rendezvous and docking in low Earth orbit and a full‑functional crewed lander targeted for 2028.

She collaborates closely with NASA and Blue Origin teams to ensure the Blue Moon lander meets the overall Artemis mission objectives.

“I examine everything Artemis crews will touch, work with, or interface with to guarantee the systems function as required,” Spicer said. “I probe beyond basic requirements: How easily can astronauts grasp handles or handrails? Can they operate push‑button displays in microgravity? Are hygiene systems user‑friendly in the cramped spacecraft environment? Are there adequate procedures and training for safe, effective use? My role is to evaluate these operational details from the crew’s perspective.”

Spicer’s career has always focused on the small details within the larger mission. After earning a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University, she spent several years as a full‑time homemaker raising three children before joining NASA part‑time in the historic Life Sciences Laboratory, where she assisted with equipment cleaning, dishwashing, and scientist‑run tests.

“I went from keeping my home running to maintaining the historic lab where Apollo crews were quarantined and Moon rock samples were stored,” she said.

She then advanced to science payloads on the International Space Station, operating the Human Research Facility racks and supporting in‑flight protocols, which ignited her passion for real‑time space operations. In 2018 she became a flight controller at Johnson’s Mission Control Center, spending five years as an Operations and Support Officer in the station’s flight control room, the “front room” of spaceflight.

“Unlike most engineers I work with, I don’t have an engineering degree. I studied engineering principles on my own, passed certification tests, and learned to speak ‘engineer!’” she added.

Now, gazing at the Moon, Spicer feels humbled and honored to be part of the team returning astronauts to the lunar surface. She reflects on NASA’s responsibility, the legacy of Apollo, and the duty to inspire the next generation of explorers.

The Artemis program marks a Golden Age of innovation, sending astronauts to increasingly challenging missions near the lunar South Pole. These missions aim to expand scientific knowledge, generate economic benefits, establish a sustained human presence on the Moon, and lay the groundwork for the first crewed flight to Mars.

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