Madison Schmaltz, a 2019 Dover grad, helped move the Artemis rocket to and from the launchpad and served as a ground test conductor during the countdown.
YORK, Pa. — As the Artemis II crew makes their way back to Earth after their trip to the Moon, a York County woman is being celebrated for her work to get the rocket into space.
“It was definitely a one-of-a-kind moment. I don’t think I could ever experience that again,” Madison Schmaltz told FOX43.
Schmaltz, a 2019 graduate of Dover Area High School, is a NASA test conductor for the Artemis II project. Her role consisted of transporting the rocket to and from the launchpad and serving as a ground test conductor during the countdown to Wednesday night’s launch.
Schmaltz described the launch as one of the most surreal experiences of her life.
“Leading up to all the hours, everything was holding steady, I’m calm, everyone is calm. But when you get to T-10 minutes, we’re getting ready to go and you can feel the room is dead silent,” she said.
She said the launch also reminded her of her trips to the Kennedy Space Center with her parents and experiencing an Apollo rocket simulator as a kid.
“You hear the rockets against the actual fire room windows and launch control center, and I’m hearing it again, and it was that same feeling I had when I was younger but on steroids times a thousand,” she said.
York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler highlighted Madison’s achievements on a Facebook post Wednesday night. She said that her story could serve as inspiration for girls across York County who are looking to enter STEM programs.
“I think it’s really important that young women out there realize that there are all kinds of careers in the STEM-related field, and looking at Madison and what she’s been able to accomplish is inspiring,” Wheeler said.
As the astronauts make their way back home, Madison says she will continue to highlight her NASA teammates behind the scenes who worked to get Artemis II off the ground.
“We needed every single person and every single procedure and every single test in order to execute this mission,” she said.
