From Lehigh to Liftoff: Mark Riddle ’87 on Creativity, Engineering and Engaged on Artemis II

Supporting NASA’s Artemis II Mission Through Umbilical Systems Integration

Roughly three years in the past, Riddle was contracted by way of Amentum to carry out essential methods work in help of Artemis II. Using his creativity and multidisciplinary method to resolve issues, he navigated the strain, nerves and duty of constructing a system that might launch actual individuals into the environment.

“My biggest challenge was acceptance,” Riddle says. “Accepting that there was no way that I was going to be able to learn everything compared to others who have been working with NASA for 30 years. The best lesson is to concentrate on each moment and the small things you can do.”

On the ground of the VAB within the months main as much as the launch of Artemis II, he met the astronauts flying within the Orion spacecraft. The 600-plus individuals working within the VAB on these days would collect round because the astronauts took turns talking at a podium.

“They were always so supportive,” Riddle says. “They’re always so thankful to the engineers, the technicians. They depended on us to get it right the first time.”

Riddle didn’t understand how deep his involvement can be, however notes that he “was right in it—working on the systems that actually support the rocket.”

His focus is on umbilical methods, the essential connections that offer energy, gasoline, air and knowledge to the rocket whereas it stands on the launch pad. In the ultimate moments earlier than liftoff, these methods are nonetheless actively supporting the car and offering what Riddle describes as one thing near life help.

“It’s like filling your gas tank,” Riddle says. “You can’t just drive off with the nozzle still in.”

At T-zero, what Riddle calls “first motion,” the rocket begins to rise and the umbilical connections should be launched cleanly and exactly.

“Once it starts moving, that’s it,” he says. “You can’t stop it. Everything has to work exactly as designed.”

The Pressure and Precision of a NASA Launch and Splashdown

The work main as much as that second is outlined by repetition and rigor: testing, retesting and fixed monitoring. In the hours earlier than launch, Riddle and his colleagues are stationed at their methods, watching knowledge streams, listening to communications from the management room and preserving a detailed eye on each sign.

“At the same time, you’ve got the NASA feed up. You’re multitasking but your focus is on making sure your system performs exactly as it should.”

Even with years of preparation, uncertainty is ever-present. That duty is shared throughout 1000’s of engineers, technicians and specialists working throughout NASA facilities and companion organizations, all contributing to a single launch.

On launch day, Riddle was on-site, supporting operations as tens of 1000’s gathered to observe. When the rocket lastly lifted off, the second carried much less celebration than anticipated.

“It was an overwhelming relief,” he says.

Trust and duty kind the premise of Riddle’s work. Inside the Rocco A. Petrone Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center, a wall of mission plaques tells the story of a long time of human spaceflight. Each plaque contains two markers: one for launch and one for touchdown.

The plaques for Space Shuttle Challenger and Space Shuttle Columbia stay unfinished, serving as somber reminders of missions that didn’t finish as deliberate.

“It’s why you follow every procedure to a tee,” Riddle says. “No shortcuts.”

As the crew returned house, Riddle watched the splashdown from his lounge. He adopted the livestream for hours, exchanging messages with relations throughout the nation. He by no means stopped pacing till the crew landed safely within the ocean.

Why Creativity Matters in Engineering and Space Exploration

Riddle hasn’t overpassed the artistic spark that first drew him to engineering. He nonetheless performs guitar and nonetheless sees connections between music, problem-solving and the work he does at this time.

It’s a lesson he carries ahead, and it’s one he presents to college students who hope to observe the same path.

“Be open-minded. Be creative. Learn something outside of science. A well-rounded person is the one who’s going to succeed.”

Even in essentially the most advanced methods, whether or not on plane carriers or on a rocket certain for the Moon, success is dependent upon greater than technical precision alone. It begins, because it all the time has, with imagining what is feasible.