A Kurdish engineer has played a key role in helping keep NASA’s Artemis II mission on course, contributing to a critical safety system inside the spacecraft.
The mission, part of NASA’s Artemis program, marks the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. It aims to return humans to the Moon and prepare for future missions to Mars.
At the center of this effort is Ardeshir Rashidi Kalhor, a veteran aerospace engineer originally from eastern Kurdistan. He helped design a highly specialized safety valve used in the Orion spacecraft’s control system.
A Small Component With a Critical Role
The valve remains inactive during normal flight. But if pressure levels shift and the spacecraft begins to drift off course, it activates instantly.
It regulates pressure inside the system and helps guide the spacecraft back to its intended path.
“This valve is designed for safety,” Kalhor said in an earlier interview. “If the spacecraft deviates, it activates to stabilize the system.”
The component is part of the Orion capsule’s reaction control system. This system ensures stability and direction during flight, especially during critical maneuvers in space.F
Ardeshir Rashidi Kalhor’s Four-Decade Career in Aerospace Engineering
Ardeshir Rashidi Kalhor brings more than four decades of experience in aerospace engineering. After moving to the United States in the 1970s, he studied physics and mechanical engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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He later worked with major global organizations, including JAXA and Lockheed Martin, one of the main contractors behind the Artemis program.
His company, RDI Engineering, was established in 2015 with support from Lockheed Martin. Since then, it has produced valves used in multiple Artemis missions.
Supporting the Future of Space Exploration
The Artemis II mission builds on the success of Artemis I, an uncrewed test flight launched in November 2022. Together, these missions aim to return humans to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era.
Ardeshir Rashidi Kalhor’s work highlights the global effort behind modern space exploration. It also reflects the growing role of Kurdish scientists and engineers in advanced scientific fields.
Despite the small size of the valve, its function is essential. Without it, maintaining the spacecraft’s trajectory and safety would be far more difficult.
As Artemis missions continue, contributions like Ardeshir Rashidi Kalhor’s will remain central to ensuring safe and successful journeys beyond Earth.
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