Veteran Lockheed Martin Engineer Driving Artemis Beyond Apollo’s Success

Written by: Tom Roeder

Blaine Brown has worked 40 years for Lockheed Martin and spent half his career on the Orion spacecraft. He remains as enthusiastic about human spaceflight as he was in the 1980s.

“The pay is good, but there are a lot of easier jobs you could have and make money,” said Brown, who joined the Orion project at its earliest stage in 2005. “The inspiration we get, and the accomplishments, are why people do it.” 

Advancing Orion for Artemis Missions

Brown, manager of Orion Spacecraft Mechanical Systems and Avionics Engineering, said computing power and modern manufacturing has made a massive difference in making Orion safer and tougher.ii “Building structures and mechanical parts has really advanced, and we have kept up.”  

Beyond Apollo: Aiming for a Permanent Moon Presence

Brown feels like he was born just a few years too late, entering space work after the age of Apollo. But he says he’s aiming for something Apollo never accomplished. 

“That’s why I am still working — to not only do what Apollo did but to take the next step and have a permanent presence on the Moon.” 

Designing for Crew Safety Above All

Orion engineers had a single objective that topped all others: To keep the crew safe, Brown said. The avionics aboard the spacecraft were built to handle trouble, with a computer helping out the crew. “We have a very robust set of flight rules,” he said, referring to contingency plans that will keep the capsule and its crew from harm. 

 “It is crew safety over and above mission success.”  

Inspiring the Next Generation Through Artemis

Brown wants Artemis to inspire a new generation of people, just as Apollo inspired him. Every flight brings anxiety, he said, because space remains wild, dangerous, and mostly unexplored. But Orion is built for it. 

 “We know we have a good ship.”  

---

Related Articles