Listen to this audio excerpt from Jesse Berdis, Artemis II mobile launcher 1 deputy project manager:
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Jesse Berdis’s dream of becoming a structural engineer began with visions of skyscrapers rising above the Dallas and Oklahoma skyline. Today, that dream has soared beyond city limits, reaching towering heights at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Berdis, the deputy project manager for mobile launcher 1 for the agency’s Artemis II mission, had a path to NASA which was anything but planned. While attending an engineering leadership conference in Orlando, he left a copy of his resume with NASA recruiters. Four weeks later, that simple gesture turned into a life-changing opportunity: a role at Kennedy as a launch infrastructure engineer with the Exploration Ground Systems Program, working on Artemis I, the uncrewed test flight of SLS and Orion.
Anyone I talk to, that’s what’s on my mind, getting ready for the Artemis campaign. It can go from technical issues we’re solving to the passion we have for launching the crew and taking the next step in humanity of going back to the Moon.
Jesse Berdis
Artemis II mobile launcher 1 deputy project manager
The mobile launcher serves as a backbone to the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis missions before and during launch. It is designed to support the integration, testing, and checkouts of the rocket and spacecraft, in addition to serving as the structural platform, or as Berdis calls it, “the shoulders, at liftoff.” Standing more than 400 feet tall, the mobile launcher houses the umbilicals that provide power, communications, coolant, fuel, and stabilization prior to launch, as well as access for the Artemis II crew to safely board Orion.
When Berdis first arrived on center, the sight of massive ground systems left an unforgettable impression. To him, these weren’t just structures, they were skyscrapers for space exploration.
Jesse Berdis, Artemis II mobile launcher 1 deputy project manager, poses for a photo near the emergency egress system at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. The emergency egress system is an abort system for personnel to climb into four baskets of the mobile launcher to the base of the pad in the unlikely event of an emergency at the launch pad. Mobile launcher 1 supports the integration, testing, and checkouts of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission.Photo credit: NASA/Kim ShiflettNASA/Kim ShiflettAfter the historic launch of Artemis I, Berdis and his team turned their focus to an even greater challenge: preparing for Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed Moon mission in more than 50 years.
One of the most critical upgrades for Artemis II is the emergency egress system, an abort system for personnel to use in the unlikely event of an emergency at the launch pad. Located on the 274-foot level of the mobile launcher, four baskets will provide a rapid escape route from the mobile launcher to the base of the pad in case of emergency, using electromagnetic braking technology.
“That is a true feat of humanity: someone putting all of their passion into these systems to make it all come together at T-0.
Jesse Berdis
Artemis II mobile launcher 1 deputy project manager
Berdis recently set his sights on the Artemis human landing system lander ground operations, to develop and maintain an integrated schedule. Under his leadership, the team ensures accuracy of combined schedules, risks, and insights, ensuring the ground operations and human lander development remain in sync.
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Laura Sasaninejad
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Last Updated Feb 11, 2026Related Terms
Artemis 2ArtemisExploration Ground SystemsI Am ArtemisKennedy Space CenterMissionsOrion Multi-Purpose Crew VehicleSpace Launch System (SLS)Explore More
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