displayed the Peruvian flag at NASA, where she works as an Artemis mission integrator.
April 1 marked the launch of the Artemis II mission, and the world now awaits the return of the four astronauts who carried out the lunar flyby.
The Peruvian engineer shared this photograph with Andina News Agency.
It was taken on the key day of the Artemis II mission, when the four astronauts aboard Orion—Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen—conducted observations during a lunar flyby more than 50 years later.
The Artemis mission patch, also displayed at the office, features a double-sided design. One side shows Earth, with the Moon in the background—the destination of the crewed journey.
On the other side of the patch, the Moon appears more prominently, as seen in the iconic "Earthset" photograph, reflecting the final days of this mission as its crew returns home on April 10.
From mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, she even shared a moment with her brother, Herbert Silva, who works on the development of a lunar station.
This platform will orbit the Moon. It is designed to serve as a home and workplace for astronauts during Artemis missions.
"Proud to be on the mission representing our Peru," said the Cusco-born engineer.
"Congratulations, Jacky! It's in key moments like these that the friendship and cooperation between our countries really shine. Peruvian-American engineer Jacky Silva-Martinez is a Mission Integrator at NASA Artemis," U.S. Ambassador to Peru, Bernie Navarro, stated on X.
Witness to historic Artemis II launch
Hours before the launch, the Peruvian engineer at NASA highlighted the mission's global significance.
"It was exciting to be in the first shift of Artemis Mission Management Team (AMMT) Support Console (MSC) on Launch - 2 days, right after the AMMT Go for Launch! I'll be supporting the mission until Launch +10 days," she said on her
LinkedIn account.
Silva-Martinez highlighted the technical advances during pre-launch operations.
"We are now making good progress during tanking ops and addressing non-conformances as needed prior to tonight's launch attempt," she indicated in the early hours of April 1.
Finally, the Peruvian engineer underscored the global impact of the Artemis II mission.
"I truly believe that Artemis II mission brings a unifying moment in our world as we advance technology in preparation of lunar landings and benefits for humanity!" she concluded.
After the Artemis II launch countdown, her applause and excitement were captured in a video shared on her Instagram account.
"Go, Artemis! There you go, back to the Moon!" she said from the designated safe viewing area.
@diarioelperuanoLa ingeniera peruana Jackelynne Silva-Martinez forma parte de la misión Artemis II, uno de los proyectos más importantes de exploración espacial ???? Su participación destaca el talento peruano en la NASA y el aporte clave en el desarrollo tecnológico. Este logro inspira a nuevas generaciones a apostar por la ciencia, la ingeniería y la innovación ?????
? sonido original - diarioelperuano
Key figure in the Artemis program
Throughout her career, the Peruvian engineer has held strategic positions within NASA, including leading human systems engineering and integration for the Lunar Gateway program.
Silva-Martinez has worked on the development of commercial space stations in low Earth orbit as well.
Her experience includes roles as a mission operations planning controller for the International Space Station and as a systems engineer on crewed missions in the Artemis program.
These responsibilities position her as a key figure in the success of Artemis II.
Silva-Martinez also worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Mars Science Laboratory mission.