As I watched the crew of Artemis II in their journey around the Moon, I couldn’t help but think about AME and the work that we do. Their mission is historic. However, what struck me most wasn’t the rocket, the technology or even the destination. It was the collaboration, the discipline and the pursuit of continuous improvement that made the mission possible.
The NASA astronauts don’t train in isolation. Engineers, technicians, manufacturers, suppliers, safety teams and mission control all work together. Every procedure is evaluated, reviewed, improved and assessed again. Lessons from past missions are actively applied. Sound familiar?
For more than 40 years, AME has championed the very principles that make missions like Artemis II possible — lean thinking, operational excellence, respect for people and the belief that small improvements, made consistently and collaboratively, lead to extraordinary outcomes.
No one at NASA says, “We’ve done this before, so we’re good.” Instead, they ask, “How can we do this better, safer, smarter?” That is the heartbeat of continuous improvement.
This is exactly what we will experience together at the AME Charlotte 2026 Lean Summit May 5-7. When we gather in Charlotte, we are doing what high-performing teams do before every mission — we learn from one another, we share what’s working, we challenge our thinking and we return to our organizations better equipped to improve. We come together not because we have all the answers, but because together, we get better answers. Because just like Artemis II, our mission is bigger than any one of us, and together, we are capable of extraordinary things.
And if NASA ever opens a volunteer list for civilians to go to space, I’ll be first in line, wondering whether anyone’s mapped the value stream to the Moon.
See you in Charlotte.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
