It takes a pack to help push the boundaries of space exploration. As the Wolfpack prepares to welcome three-time NC State grad Christina Koch back to campus, we’re sharing the stories of NC State alumni who have used their degrees to help get us there.

At the Core of the Mission

Elyssa Cartagena

Nearly four years into her role with Boeing, NC State alumna, Elyssa Cartagena ’22 is still in awe of the work she gets to do every day. 

“While large events such as seeing a rocket I worked on launch or watching the completed core stage leave our production facility are inspiring, simple things like the sheer size of the flight hardware is incredible, too,” she says.

Cartagena played a role in the build of Artemis II, which carried NC State alumna Christina Koch around the moon.

As a Boeing Test and Evaluation Engineer on the Space Launch System, Cartagena uses the skills she gained while at NC State. Boeing helps manufacture NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) core stage , or heavy-lift rocket, at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. 

NASA says the SLS provides an entirely new capability for science and human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. It is said to reduce the number and complexity of in-space operations and increase the opportunities for mission success. 

The portion of the SLS Cartagena focuses on operates for about 500 seconds before reaching low earth orbit and separating from the upper stage and NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

The SLS provides an entirely new capability for science and human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.

“While the core stage operates for a short period of time, it plays a major role in launch as it houses the flight computers, other avionics components crucial to control the rocket’s flight and four RS-25 engines,” Cartagena explains. The core stage towers at 212 feet and has a diameter of 27.6 feet. 

After major segments of production, Cartagena’s team performs safety checkouts to ensure all components are functioning as they should during flight. They complete the tests again after the entire core stage is assembled before being fully integrated with the rest of the SLS. 

Koch and members of the Artemis crew visited Cartagena’s Boeing factory in 2023 while the core stage was being built. Though Cartagena has met Artemis II crew members Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman on other visits, she was unable to meet the crew during that visit.

Pivotal NC State Experiences

When she looks back on her days at NC State, Cartagena shared that her time as a Student Alumni Association Ambassador and pledging and serving in the Mu Omicron Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. shaped her into the woman she is today. 

“In both organizations, I had the opportunity to transition from mentee to mentor, learn to succeed in a group and have fun along the way,” she says. 

The Mu Omicron chapter taught her the importance of serving others by allowing her to be a leader on campus. Since graduation she has joined the alumni chapter in New Orleans and serves on the physical and mental health committee. 

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As an SAA Ambassador, Cartagena planned Red and White Week, where she found her leadership style. The professional workshops organized by the group, she says, ensured a smooth transition after graduation.

A Think and Do Mindset

Cartagena credits her coursework at NC State with the problem-solving skills and resilience to allow her to succeed in her role at Boeing. “The principle of Think and Do is something I try to apply to my daily activities,” shared the cum laude aerospace engineering graduate.

“My first test event after starting at Boeing was the final integrated functional test on the core stage for Artemis II. Once the entirety of core stage II was assembled, I verified avionics and propulsion components over the span of multiple months before shipment to Kennedy Space Center,” she says. 

Cartagena hopes that Koch’s visit to campus will highlight that NC State is helping to make space exploration possible and more advanced by producing engineers, astronauts and thinkers alike. “I hope her visit leaves everyone with the sentiment that we can achieve amazing things and inspires us to Think and Do.”

Though she was always fascinated by space and the stars, Cartagena didn’t realize she wanted to work in aerospace until her senior year of high school. Her advice for young alumni who may be reaching for their own stars, so to speak, “Be determined and enthusiastic. Don’t let anything deter you from doing what you love,” she notes. “Take pride in your work, and not only do what you love, but love what you do!”

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Supporting Space Exploration

Ian Chase

Long before astronauts set foot on the launchpad, there’s a crew behind the crew making preparations by running through drills and working to ensure a safe launch. Ian Chase’s ’89 pathway has provided an opportunity to play an important role in supporting NASA and space exploration.

The industrial engineering graduate’s career ultimately led him to the 920th Rescue Wing located at Patrick Space Force Base near Cocoa Beach in Florida, where he served as Deputy Wing Commander until retirement two years ago.

The wing helped support NASA operations by clearing the airspace around the shuttle or being at the ready for search and rescue in case of unforeseen trouble during the three to four launches for which they assisted annually.

Chase’s role was to take NASA’s request for support and operationalize it, among the regular duties of his reserve wing, which included supervising a full- and part-time staff and ensuring the readiness of the entire wing to deploy for combat search and rescue.

Supporting Launch Operations

“When I joined, I came in as the Deputy Wing Commander back in August of 2017. We were just getting spun back up from the shuttle program termination and supporting NASA launch operations. It’s gone in several different directions since then, with the active-duty units coming in, and we were mostly in a support role,” Chase says.

Chase’s unit took part in months-long behind-the-scenes drills leading up to launch day. The 920th is comprised of 2,200 service members spread across four bases in the United States and varying from aircraft support to medical units to aircrew.

As the countdown gets to a critical juncture, they have a rescue task force that is embedded with the launch team.

“They’re basically there at the aircraft waiting to go. As the countdown gets to a critical juncture, they have a rescue task force that is embedded with the launch team,” explains Chase. “Then they stand by, and if something were to go wrong with a rocket in that first window where they’re able to separate from the space capsule, [they’re available].” Thankfully Chase’s team was never needed.

With the advent of SpaceX and the privatization of space exploration, Chase says much of the support role has shifted since his retirement, often to drones or private contractors.

Being Adaptable

ROTC played a foundational role for Chase during his four years at NC State preparing to become an officer. During that time, he gained skills that helped him succeed in his future career. “You’ve got to find your footing and learn how to study. High school was easy for me. NC State was not easy for me, but in a good way,” he says. 

Chase ultimately followed in his father’s footsteps as a flight navigator, helping pilots reach their destinations. Over the years, his career field saw changes and Chase learned to adjust to his circumstances, which were frequently influenced by technology.

The advent of GPS and computers, the military downsizing and other factors influenced his pathway. He made the decision to transition to the reserves, pursue civilian work at Lockheed Martin providing analytical support producing special operations C-130s and finally took the opportunity to slingshot back to full-time reserve status at Patrick SFB.

Chase says he’s proof that being adaptable through change is important. “Despite all the technology, despite all the rumors, despite all these experts telling me that I wouldn’t fly again, we were still doing it, but only a different version of the job 34 years later. … Don’t lose your motivation, don’t lose heart,” he says.

Prepared for What’s Next

Everything you do prepares you for what you do next, Chase advises new grads. “There’s always something that you’re pulling out that you’re like, ‘I’ll never use this, and you do.’” Earning his Green Belt and focusing on process improvement was one of those skills. “Over the years since I’ve been in the military, it’s shrunk the entire time, so they’re doing more with less.”

Find your pathway through to where you want to go.

Reaching for the stars, sometimes reality can get in the way, says Chase of his career. His advice: “Find your pathway through to where you want to go. There is a pathway. It may not be the way you thought you would go. … The military has a saying that the enemy gets a vote in your plan. So the world and reality have a vote, but there’s a way.”