Emily Nelson
NASA Flight Director for Artemis II; confirmed Day 8 radiation shelter demo as scheduled mission test.
Last refreshed: 7 April 2026
What did the Flight Director say about the Day 8 radiation shelter test?
Latest on Emily Nelson
- What is the Day 8 radiation shelter test on Artemis II?
- Crew physically relocate cargo bags to create a low-dose shielded zone. It is the first such test on a crewed Orion in deep space, scheduled for 8 April 2026.Source: NASA
- Who is the flight director on Artemis II?
- Emily Nelson is the NASA Flight Director for Artemis II. She confirmed the Day 8 shelter demo on 7 April 2026.Source: NASA
Background
Emily Nelson is the NASA Flight Director assigned to Artemis II. On 7 April 2026 she confirmed that the Day 8 radiation shelter construction demonstration would proceed as a scheduled mission test objective regardless of Space weather conditions. The demo, scheduled for approximately 6:35 PM EDT on 8 April, requires crew to physically relocate stowed cargo bags to build a low-dose shielded zone — the first test of this procedure on a crewed Orion in deep space.
Flight Directors at NASA bear ultimate responsibility for real-time mission decision-making during their shifts; they have authority to deviate from the flight plan if crew safety demands it. Nelson's confirmation that the shelter demo would run regardless of solar conditions underlines its status as a mission-critical test, not an optional exercise.
Her statement came after seven consecutive days of zero published crew radiation dose data, including through the G3 geomagnetic storm peak and the highest-exposure window of the mission at maximum distance from Earth.