Artemis II and the Return of Humans to Deep Space - Sarah Elizabeth McCandless - 04/27/26

How did the astronauts aboard Artemis II ensure they got to the Moon and back? Join us to hear from Sarah Elizabeth McCandless, one of the NASA navigation engineers for the Artemis II mission, as she talks the recent Artemis mission to the Moon. Astronomy on Tap is a global phenomenon where professional scientists give informal science talks in local bars with accompanying pub trivia and interactions with the public. The Los Angeles chapter of Astronomy on Tap is very active, with monthly events at the Dog Haus Biergarten in Pasadena. Join us for a future Astronomy on Tap night--free and open to all, no reservations necessary: https://outreach.astro.caltech.edu/aot Sarah Elizabeth McCandless is a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she helps track spacecraft and predict their trajectories for missions including Mars Perseverance, Artemis I, Psyche, Europa Clipper, and NEO Surveyor. She earned degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Kansas and the University of Texas at Austin, with graduate work focused on orbital mechanics. In 2024, she served as an analog astronaut in NASA’s 45-day HERA simulated Mars mission. Outside of work, Sarah is active in STEM outreach and enjoys running, camping, traveling, and piloting Cessna 172 aircraft. Sarah Elizabeth McCandless:   / sarah-elizabeth-mccandless-0860b166