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Shawano Today
By the People, for the People
Shawano Native Joins NASA's Artemis II Moon Mission
UW-Eau Claire alum Dr. Susan Lederer is part of the Artemis II crew as a lead project scientist.
Apr. 1, 2026 at 2:06am
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With the Artemis II mission around the moon set to launch in just 24 hours, one of the key scientists involved in the mission is Dr. Susan Lederer, a Planetary and Space Scientist at NASA who hails from Shawano, Wisconsin. Dr. Lederer, a 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is serving as a lead project scientist for NASA's Commercial Payload Services (CLPS) team on the Artemis II mission.
Why it matters
The Artemis II mission is a critical step in NASA's ambitious plan to return humans to the lunar surface, and Dr. Lederer's involvement as a lead scientist highlights the important contributions that scientists from small-town Wisconsin can make to major space exploration efforts.
The details
As part of the CLPS team, Dr. Lederer's role is to help manifest different types of payloads and instruments on landers that will go to the moon, in order to better understand the environment that astronauts will experience. Dr. Lederer's path to NASA began at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics, before going on to earn a master's in Astronomy at New Mexico State University and a PhD in Astronomy at the University of Florida.
- The Artemis II mission is set to launch on Wednesday, April 3, 2026.
- Dr. Lederer grew up in Shawano, Wisconsin before attending UW-Eau Claire in the early 1990s.
The players
Dr. Susan Lederer
A Planetary and Space Scientist at NASA who is serving as a lead project scientist for the agency's Commercial Payload Services (CLPS) team on the Artemis II mission. She grew up in Shawano, Wisconsin and is a 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
The alma mater of Dr. Susan Lederer, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics before going on to earn advanced degrees and join NASA.
What they’re saying
“The whole purpose of CLPS is to manifest different types of payloads, instruments on landers that go to the moon to help us better understand the environment that astronauts will experience.”
— Dr. Susan Lederer, Planetary and Space Scientist, NASA
“It's pretty incredible to be here now after starting in such a small town in northern Wisconsin. I wish that my grandfather were still around to be able to see it.”
— Dr. Susan Lederer, Planetary and Space Scientist, NASA
What’s next
The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, April 3, 2026, sending astronauts on a historic journey around the moon.
The takeaway
Dr. Susan Lederer's journey from a small town in Wisconsin to becoming a lead scientist on NASA's Artemis II mission to the moon is an inspiring story that highlights the incredible talent and potential that can come from even the most unexpected places. Her work on this mission will help pave the way for future lunar exploration and the return of astronauts to the moon.
