‘From Eagle Nation to the Moon’: Georgia Southern alumnus behind the scenes of Artemis II launch

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - NASA launched Artemis II on Apr. 1, 2026, marking the first crewed mission to orbit the moon in more than 50 years.

SEE: ‘Astronomically inspiring’: Georgia Southern students gather to watch Artemis II launch

GSU alumnus behind the scenes of historic Artemis II launch

Georgia Southern University College of Science and Mathematics alumnus Andy Warren was onsite at Kennedy Space Center for the launch. Warren graduated from Georgia Southern in 1987.

As a manager of cross program integration, the university said Warren helped keep NASA’s Space Launch System teams in sync. “For the Artemis II mission, he worked with international partners to ensure onboard payloads were safe for the crew,” wrote the university in a social media post.

Artemis II is expected to splash down on Earth Friday night.

LOOK AHEAD: Artemis II’s moon finale is almost here with a Pacific splashdown to cap NASA’s lunar comeback