Randall Nash (left) and Chad Copeland support from FR 1.
It’s not everyday you get to make history in your profession, especially when you have been in your current role for less than a year.
But that’s exactly what happened recently for a pair of Aerodyne Test Conductors that supported the offload of the 212-foot tall Core Stage at the Kennedy Space Center on July 23-24, 2024.
Chad Copeland and Randall Nash, two aviation veterans who joined Aerodyne on June 16, 2023, and Nov. 15, 2023, respectively, supported the critical exercise for the Artemis II component from Firing Room (FR) 1 in the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center (LCC).
The duo were part of a team of Test Conductors and NASA Test Directors that managed and documented movement of the Core Stage from the Turn Basin to the VAB. They coordinated with NASA Safety, Security, JSTC (the radio call sign for BOSS), and the Movement Team to ensure all the parts of the Work Authorization Document (WAD) were safely executed and helped resolve any off-nominal events.
“Participating in this event is very special on several levels,” said Chad. “The first is obvious, to be on the leading edge of a program to send four more people to the Moon is a privilege only a handful of people get to be part of. Our friends and families are incredibly proud to have us represent them in the Artemis II Program and share our excitement.
“The second is Randy and I are the Air Operations Coordinators for Artemis II Landing and Recovery. The training for this job required us to have spent time underway with the U.S. Navy training with the Artemis II Crew. You get to know people when stuck on a small Navy ship and we have a strong affection for our friends going around the Moon.
“Moving the Core Stage today was more than just a piece of equipment; this is part of the vehicle that will take our friends to space so we can safely recover them. We have come to appreciate how every detail counts in executing SLS support.
“Randy and I have enjoyed the excitement and challenges of our first year with Aerodyne; we have worked in aviation training and safety for over a decade together, nothing beats space!
The Core Stage is now housed in the VAB where it will be prepared for integration atop the Mobile Launcher (ML)-1 with the completed stack of solid rocket boosters for the Artemis II mission. Artemis II is tentatively targeted for launch in September 2025.
“I feel honored to participate in critical milestones related to our historic mission of returning humankind to the Moon, like supporting the Core Stage move into the VAB,” said Randall. “I take pride in representing Aerodyne in supporting NASA and our partners as we move closer to this significant accomplishment.
“Having been with Aerodyne for less than a year, it has been a challenging and fulfilling experience to witness history as it happens.”
Artemis II Core Stage enters the VAB.
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