An aeronautical engineer from Reus, Roger Lascorz, will serve as a mission controller for NASA's upcoming Artemis III and IV lunar expeditions in 2027 and 2028. Working from the Mission Evaluation Room (MER) in Houston, USA, Lascorz is responsible for the imaging systems of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Programme.
"I am responsible for the imaging systems of the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Programme, the part of NASA that handles everything that happens when astronauts are in space or on the Moon," Lascorz explained in an interview with EFE. His work involves ensuring all cameras function correctly, including those inside and outside the spacecraft, on astronaut suits, and those documenting their first steps on the lunar surface. He also supervises other avionics systems.
"During active missions, I will be in the Mission Evaluation Room, where engineers monitor all spacecraft systems in real-time. If something fails or behaves unexpectedly, we analyse the data and find a solution for the flight control team to communicate to the astronauts," said Lascorz, highlighting the immense responsibility because "in space, there is no margin for error."
Lascorz, 33, joined NASA in 2019, starting at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He steadily progressed within the Artemis programme, ascending to EHP Imagery System Manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in January 2025.
Behind the Scenes at Mission Control
Lascorz uses cinema to illustrate his workplace. "Do you remember the scene in the film 'Apollo 13' with the square filter that doesn't fit the round hole, when engineers on the ground empty a box of materials onto a table and have to improvise a solution with what the astronauts have on board? That scene happens precisely in the MER," he said. He added that in that sequence, about 70 specialists, each knowing every system of the spacecraft in detail, found that solution.
The aeronautical engineer closely followed the recent Artemis II expedition, the first crewed mission to the Moon in over half a century. This mission broke the record for distance from Earth, previously set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
"They were intense and rewarding days. The launch on 1 April was a moment I will not forget. Seeing that rocket lift off with four people on board, knowing all the work behind it, is something that makes your stomach clench. Then came ten days of following the mission. That everything went so well is the best possible validation of the work of thousands of people," he noted.
Before the mission, Lascorz was responsible for the imaging and voice systems, cameras, and ground communication infrastructure that enable the launch. "During the mission, I remained available in case anyone needed me, but I could also experience it as a spectator, very happy and excited because a part of what was happening up there carried a bit of my work. It's a priceless feeling," he affirmed.
Future Lunar Landings and Personal Journey
Lascorz is now looking ahead to the next lunar expeditions. "Artemis III will be a test mission in low Earth orbit, similar to Apollo IX, where orbital rendezvous and docking capabilities will be tested. It is still being defined, and the requirements for my area of work are not yet finalised." He continued, stating that Artemis IV "will make the leap to the lunar surface." "This is where my work as imagery manager will gain enormous complexity. Documenting astronauts walking on the Moon is a technical challenge of another dimension," he specified.
Lascorz is fulfilling his childhood dream of working at NASA. "From a young age, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to space, and at 16, I decided to leave Reus for the United States to achieve it," he recounted.
He graduated with 'magna cum laude' in Physics from the Advanced Academy at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, then completed a degree and master's in Aerospace Engineering with top honours at Georgia Tech. "After several attempts, I received the call from NASA and could not believe it," he recalled.
He lives in Houston and previously spent several years in Florida, near Cape Canaveral. "It's a very different life from Reus, but very enriching. Houston is a huge and diverse city, with a very special energy around the space world, but no matter how much I have adapted to life here, Reus is always present," he concluded.
