OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — "I think that one of the biggest things that is on my mind first and foremost is just the safety," said Nebraskan Jen Rae Hein-Wang, who served as the NASA Associate Administrator for the Office of Communications during the Obama and Trump administrations.
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The Millard North graduate visited KMTV just a few hours before splashdown of the Artemis II. She reflected on her time in the agency, where she saw the beginnings of the Artemis program.
"What an honor, right, to be tasked with such huge, huge goals but also huge opportunities and really be focused on how can we bring people together and also how can we inspire the next generation," she said.
Hein-Wang described standing with the families of astronauts during launches and landings, including watching astronauts take-off aboard a Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan.
"And you know that you’re not the only person around the world. There’s probably millions of people holding their breath in that moment," Hein-Wang said.
The mission is not only an American endeavor, she says.
"Our international partners are actually critical to everything that we do ... It’s just incredible to see everyone come together and have a human achievement like this moment."
Artemis II, Hein-Wang says, offers a chance for all of us to dream big.
"Space has inspired all aspects of our lives, right, from science to technology but also to music and to art. And that’s what I want see. I just want to see more inspiration and keep seeing where humans go as we continue to dream about things that humans have never done before."
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