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In Augusta, Georgia, Leah Cheshier Mustachio has become a familiar voice to many avid space enthusiasts, offering live commentary on NASA-TV during launches, spacewalks, and more. Recently, her engaging coverage of the Artemis II mission and its lunar flyby captured widespread attention.
Originally hailing from Georgia, Leah is a proud alumna of Young Harris College, situated amidst the scenic North Georgia mountains, where she graduated in 2016. Today, she is part of the team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
As a public affairs officer, Leah plays a pivotal role in sharing NASA’s groundbreaking work. She focuses on the Artemis lunar campaign, the International Space Station, and the Commercial Crew Program, among others. Her portfolio of coverage is impressive, including SpaceX Crew-1, Crew-7, and Crew-9 launches, Boeing’s Starliner’s maiden crewed docking with the space station, and the Artemis I mission’s launch toward the Moon.
Leah’s passion for NASA was ignited during a college trip to Wallops Island for a rocket launch. This experience propelled her from a media communications degree to a position at the Mission Control Console, a testament to her dedication and drive.
In our interview with Leah, she shares her aspirations to inspire others through her work. She hopes that her coverage of significant events, like the Artemis II lunar flyby, leaves a lasting impression, encouraging people to share these historic moments with future generations and inspire young minds to dream big.
“This feels like our generation’s Apollo 8 in a way. You know, looking back on Earth and everything that we think is so important and that we think matters so much, and then you see how far away and how small it really is. It definitely makes you think twice about what really matters, you know, how can we be a better neighbor? And how can I just cherish everything that I have, even more?”
Leah also talks about balancing a career that takes her around the world, with being a wife and mother to a baby boy. (And she has a great love story but I’m not going to give that away here!)
Leah Cheshier Mustachio’s combination of charisma, curiosity, and sense of adventure set her up for a future where the sky truly is the limit!