I Am Artemis: Michael Guzman

3 Min Read

I Am Artemis: Michael Guzman

Listen to this audio excerpt from Michael Guzman, Artemis II main propulsion systems engineer:

A clue to what Mike Guzman, main propulsion systems engineer at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, loves most can be found in the signature of his work email: a complex string of equations for rocket thrust, specific impulse, and the physics behind cooling liquid oxygen with helium bubbles.

I’m a huge nerd. I love math, science, and physics. Even in my free time, I’ll find myself watching physics lectures.

MiKE Guzman

Artemis II main propulsion systems engineer

Born in New York to a family from the Dominican Republic, Guzman moved to Florida where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Florida International University and a master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology. His path to NASA Kennedy began after being handpicked for a summer internship in 2013, an opportunity that would ultimately change the course of his career.

During his internship, Guzman was inspired to build his own rocket. He purchased a textbook and began building a model rocket in his free time. The drive and passion he put into the project did not go unnoticed. Just three days after the model rocket launched, he was offered a job and has worked for America’s space agency ever since.

Guzman began his work with a model rocket, and now, as part of Exploration Ground Systems, is part of the team launching the rocket that will carry astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years: the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis II.

Guzman joined the propulsion team in 2019. Early in his role, he focused on hydrogen systems at Launch Pad 39B, including the large liquid hydrogen sphere at the pad and the piping that delivers propellant to the rocket. Today, he works on the main propulsion system inside the rocket itself, a role that will put him in the firing room for the Artemis II test flight, at the center of launch operations.

At the heart of Guzman’s work is the “brain book,” a comprehensive binder that contains every drawing, requirement, procedure, and launch commit criteria an engineer might need. It’s a roadmap for efficiency. By studying it in advance, Guzman and his colleagues know exactly where to find what they need and how to respond to unexpected issues.

The key to a successful launch relies on teamwork. On launch day, hundreds of engineers come together in the firing room to monitor every system on the spacecraft. Each console operator’s actions influence the others’, creating a constant interplay where observation, communication, and anticipation are key to mission success.

It has to be a team sport. We’re all sitting in different parts of a whole, that ‘one whole’ being the spacecraft. We all have to work together. We all must have a sense of what the other individuals are doing and what their roles are, because at the end of the day, it’s all interconnected.

MiKE Guzman

Artemis II main propulsion systems engineer

For Guzman, Artemis II represents the culmination of years of preparation, study, and collaboration.

“It’s not something that happens every day, and it’s not something that you get to be a part of every day,” Guzman said. “To see it finally happen, it’s going to be incredible.”

Explore More

3 min read

I Am Artemis: Erik Richards

Article


18 minutes ago

6 min read

NASA Selects Intuitive Machines to Deliver Artemis Science, Tech to Moon

Article


36 minutes ago

6 min read

NASA Tech and Science Bound for Low Earth Orbit on Commercial Launch

Article


4 hours ago

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Missions

Humans in Space

Climate Change

Solar System

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…
Antonia Jaramillo

NextSTEP-3 E: Network Extension for User Continuity and Sustainability (NEXUS) Ka-Band Backward-Compatible Relay Broad

Synopsis | 03/23/26

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/e33cd0cc61064a6497a55fca8e9b30c6/view

NASA intends to release a BAA under Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP-3), Appendix E, for Project NEXUS, Ka-band Backward- Compatible Relay. As the aging Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRS) declines, NASA’s objective is to acquire an end-to-end Ka-band relay service, including space, ground, launch, integration, and operations elements, that is backward compatible with legacy TDRS users for a minimum of fifteen years. This capability is needed to support select on-orbit missions that cannot feasibly modify flight hardware or transition to non-compatible commercial services. To reduce growing continuity risk in the 2029- 2031 timeframe, industry is asked to develop and demonstrate this end-to-end capability. The BAA will be a phased competitive Research and Development (R&D) acquisition. NASA anticipates multiple initial Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) awards with progressive downselects based on demonstrated performance, technical credibility, and commercial viability. NASA does not anticipate being the sole commercial customer and anticipates proposed solutions to be supported by a broader commercial business case beyond NASA. 

NASA seeks to accelerate maturation of commercially viable capabilities through competitive research demonstrations to support transition to future operational services, while preserving full and open competition for those services. All proposed satellite orbit solutions are acceptable notwithstanding that the proposed solutions will be expected to include all elements necessary for industry to develop, deliver and sustain the end-to-end relay service capability, including, but not limited to: Space segment, associated launch services, as applicable, ground and network infrastructure, and service operations and maintenance. Accordingly, NASA may use knowledge gained through this BAA, including demonstration results, technical data, and operational insight, to inform future acquisition strategies for operational services.

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…
Danny Baird

Artemis II Crew’s Suits

The Orion Crew Survival System suits that Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will wear on the Artemis II test flight are seen in the suit-up room of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew aboard the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…
Monika Luabeya

Satellite Spots a Spawn

Spawning season has sprung for Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in the waters off British Columbia, Canada. From mid-February through early May each year, thousands of the small, silvery fish congregate in shallow coastal areas around Vancouver Island and create a spectacle sometimes visible to satellites.

Sheltered waters in Barkley Sound, on the southwestern side of Vancouver Island, are regular sites for spawn events. On February 19, 2026, the Landsat 9 satellite caught a glimpse of early-season activity underway along the shore near Forbes Island. In these events, female herring produce eggs that stick to a variety of materials, from kelp and seagrass to rock surfaces. Males release a sperm-containing fluid called milt into the water, giving it a cloudy green or turquoise look.

Spawns near Forbes Island have been observed most years since the 1970s, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) records. “Herrings prefer spawning locations that are more protected, have rocky substrate, and allow them to select areas with reduced salinity,” said Jessica Moffatt, biologist with the Island Marine Aquatic Working Group (IMAWG), which works to strengthen First Nations fisheries through traditional knowledge, modern science, and management guidance. “Barkley Sound hits the sweet spot” in many of these regards, she said, adding that collective memory, predation pressure, and other factors also play a role in spawn size and location.

Spawning events last from several hours to several days. At Forbes Island in 2026, local observers saw that fish were staging in the area by February 13 (schools can arrive up to two weeks before spawning, Moffatt noted), and activity was reported to IMAWG from February 19 to February 21.

Along with changes in water color, spawns often come with increased wildlife presence, which can include whales and sea lions swimming nearby and eagles, wolves, and bears lurking on shore. After spawning, the fish will migrate back to summer feeding areas in deeper, more nutrient-rich waters, sometimes sticking with their same large school for several years.

Records of spawn activity have historically been constrained by the timing of aerial and dive surveys, the availability of reports from remote locations, and fisheries priorities. But observations by satellites, including Landsat, can help monitor herring activity over larger areas and longer periods of time. Researchers at the University of Victoria in Canada have used decades of satellite observations to augment historical spawn records and develop methods to streamline future detections.

Herring and their roe are valuable both as a cultural food source and harvest practice by First Nations and for British Columbia’s commercial fisheries. As a forage fish species, Pacific herring are vital to salmon and other marine life, and a fuller picture of the locations of spawning areas could provide clues about changes in the marine ecosystem.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photos by Ryan Cutler. Story by Lindsey Doermann.

Downloads

February 19, 2026

JPEG (6.60 MB)

References & Resources

• California Marine Species Portal (2024) Pacific Herring Enhanced Status Report. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• CBC (2026, February 25) First signs of herring spawn spark excitement on Vancouver Island. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2026, January 20) Pacific herring fisheries. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• Ha-Shilth-Sa (2024, November 29) No commercial catch in 2025, despite herring population growth, say Ha’wiih – but spawn-on-kelp being explored. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• IMAWG (2026) Island Marine Aquatic Working Group. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• Island Marine Aquatic Working Group, via Facebook (2026) Pacific Herring Spawn Reporting – IMAWG. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• NASA Earth Observatory (2025, May 5) Spawning Spectacle. Accessed March 26, 2026.
• Spectral and Remote Sensing Laboratory, University of Victoria, Herring Spawn Habitat: Spatiotemporal analysis of historical spawning sites using satellite remote sensing. Accessed March 26, 2026.

You may also be interested in:

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.

Showy Swirls Around Jeju Island

2 min read

Winds blowing past the volcanic landmass near the Korean Peninsula created a trail of spiraling clouds, while murky water churned…

Article

Puerto Rico From Above

4 min read

An astronaut photographed the island’s striking mix of mountains, forests, and expanding urban areas.

Article

Blooming Seas Around the Chatham Islands

2 min read

A vibrant display of phytoplankton encircled the remote New Zealand islands.

Article

Keep Exploring

Discover More from NASA Earth Science

Subscribe to Earth Observatory Newsletters

Subscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.

Earth Observatory Image of the Day

NASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.

Explore Earth Science

Earth Science Data

Open access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data

Powered by WPeMatico

Get The Details…