Meet Our Team
Read the biographies for some of the leaders behind NASA's Exploration Ground Systems at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Eric Gore
Eric Gore serves as manager for NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program. In this role, Gore leads the program responsible for developing, operating, and sustaining the ground infrastructure and systems that process, integrate, and launch Artemis missions and other government and commercial spacecraft.

Clifton Lanham
Cliff Lanham is the deputy manager for NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program. In this role, he is is responsible for leading the government and contractor team that is preparing the ground systems, infrastructure, facilities and processes required to support NASA’s space launch systems and spacecraft.

Robert A. Yaskovic
As the associate manager of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, Robert A. Yaskovic, Jr., assists the program manager and deputy program manager to lead the government and contractor team preparing the ground systems, infrastructure, facilities, and processes required for NASA’s Artemis space launch systems and spacecraft.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson
Charlie Blackwell-Thompson serves as launch director for NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program. She oversaw the countdown and liftoff of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft during its first flight test, called Artemis I.

Matt Czech
Matt Czech is the senior vehicle operations manager for NASA's Exploration Ground Systems Program.

Lili Villarreal
Liliana Villarreal serves as the Artemis landing and recovery director for Exploration Ground Systems Program. She is responsible for leading NASA’s efforts for nominal and contingency recovery of astronauts and Orion hardware for Artemis crew missions.


