Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew

Kennedy Space Center, Florida; December 26th, 2025

As NASA prepares for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to travel around the Moon since Apollo, one of the most consequential moments of launch day will occur quietly, away from the roar of engines and public spectacle. That moment belongs to NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew, the final group of specialists responsible for securing the astronauts inside the Orion spacecraft and completing the last physical and environmental checks before liftoff.

According to an official release issued by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the closeout crew is tasked with guiding the four Artemis II astronauts into Orion, connecting their life-support systems, verifying communications and environmental interfaces, securing restraint systems, and sealing the spacecraft hatch. These steps are not symbolic; they represent the final transition from ground operations to autonomous spaceflight, where every connection must perform flawlessly once the rocket leaves the pad.

NASA identified the closeout crew as a team drawn from experienced Orion spacecraft technicians, spacesuit and survival system specialists, and astronaut support personnel who work directly within the vehicle during launch countdown operations. The agency named Taylor Hose as the Artemis II closeout crew lead, responsible for coordinating the sequence of crew ingress and final spacecraft configuration. NASA also identified Andre Douglas, Bill Owens, Christian Warriner, and Ricky Ebaugh as key members of the team, each specializing in spacecraft systems, crew interfaces, or suit integration.

NASA’s description emphasizes that Orion’s interior is a tightly controlled environment where crew seating, harnessing, oxygen connections, cooling lines, and communications wiring must all be verified under strict procedural timelines. Unlike routine vehicle boarding, each Artemis II astronaut will be secured using multiple restraint systems designed to withstand launch forces, vibration, and emergency contingencies. The closeout crew must confirm that each astronaut’s spacesuit is properly integrated with Orion’s environmental control and life support system before the hatch can be closed.

The agency compared the closeout crew’s function to that of a professional pit crew, noting that while the actions may appear routine, each step is rehearsed repeatedly and executed with precision because errors cannot be corrected once the spacecraft is sealed. NASA stated that the closeout crew will be among the last people to physically interact with the astronauts before the mission begins, a role that carries both technical responsibility and psychological weight.

Artemis II will carry Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a multi-day mission that will loop around the Moon and return to Earth. NASA has stated that the mission’s objective is to validate Orion’s life-support systems, navigation, communications, and crew performance in deep space before future lunar landing missions. The work performed by the closeout crew directly supports these objectives by ensuring the crew and spacecraft are fully configured for autonomous operation.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center emphasized that while astronauts often receive public recognition, missions like Artemis II depend on specialized ground teams whose work is rarely visible but essential to success. The closeout crew represents the final link in the chain between years of training and the moment the spacecraft becomes a self-contained world carrying human life beyond Earth.

When the hatch closes on Artemis II, the closeout crew will step away from Orion and clear the launch area, having completed their task. From that point forward, the astronauts will be alone inside the spacecraft, guided by systems, procedures, and preparation made possible by the work of those who secured them in place for humanity’s return journey to the Moon.

Sources

Primary First-Hand Sources

• NASA – Kennedy Space Center, “Get In, We’re Going Moonbound: Meet NASA’s Artemis Closeout Crew,” official NASA release detailing the responsibilities, personnel, and procedures of the Artemis II closeout team.