NASA's Artemis II Control Room Staffed Predominantly by Women

A photo of the NASA control room during the Artemis II mission launch has gone viral, highlighting the significant presence of women in STEM roles.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:08am

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A bold, abstract painting in the style of Hilma af Klint, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals in earthy tones of green, blue, and brown, conceptually representing the complex forces and structures behind the Artemis II mission to the Moon.The predominantly female staffing of NASA's control room during the historic Artemis II mission launch reflects the growing diversity and representation in the space industry.San Diego Today

A photo from inside the NASA control room during the Artemis II mission launch has captured the attention of social media users, who have noticed that the room appears to be largely staffed by women. This is significant as women still only occupy around 28% of STEM-related jobs worldwide. The Artemis II mission, which is the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years, includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The crew is expected to splashdown off the coast of San Diego later today.

Why it matters

The image of the predominantly female NASA control room staff has sparked a positive reaction on social media, as it highlights the progress being made in increasing the representation of women in STEM fields. This is an important step towards greater gender equality and diversity in the traditionally male-dominated space industry.

The details

The Artemis II mission, which launched on April 1, is the first crewed mission to the Moon since the Apollo program. The four-person crew, which includes two NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, successfully completed a lunar flyby and are now making their way back to Earth. The image that has captured the attention of social media users is not of the astronauts themselves, but rather a photo of the NASA control room during the mission launch. Many people have noticed that the room appears to be largely staffed by women, which is significant given that women still only occupy around 28% of STEM-related jobs worldwide.

  • The Artemis II mission launched on April 1, 2026.
  • The crew is expected to splashdown off the coast of San Diego later today, April 10, 2026.

The players

Reid Wiseman

A NASA astronaut who is part of the Artemis II crew.

Victor Glover

A NASA astronaut who is part of the Artemis II crew.

Christina Koch

A NASA astronaut who is part of the Artemis II crew and the first woman to travel to the Moon.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian Space Agency astronaut who is part of the Artemis II crew.

USS John P. Murtha

The ship that will pick up the Artemis II crew after their splashdown and provide initial medical evaluations.

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What’s next

After splashdown, the Artemis II crew will undergo post-mission medical evaluations on the USS John P. Murtha before traveling back to shore and then to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The takeaway

The image of the predominantly female NASA control room staff during the Artemis II mission launch is a powerful symbol of the progress being made in increasing the representation of women in STEM fields. This milestone highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion in the space industry and serves as an inspiration for young women and girls interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.