Remarkable Women: EaglePicher engineer plays key role in Artemis missions

Yahoo

25-03-2025

JOPLIN, Mo. — Our final remarkable woman we're highlighting from EaglePicher Technologies has had a career with the company that spans nearly 30 years.
The latest mission she's working on is a big one.
'When I first started, I would be the only woman in a conference room full of men,' said Heather Mauk, EaglePicher Sr. Quality Engineer.
Remarkable Women
These days, EaglePicher senior quality engineer Heather Mauk notes just how many women are working on some really serious stuff.
'It's really great to see the progression of the additional women, in all aspects. You know, everyone from the operations group all the way up to senior management,' said Mauk.
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Heather's 28-year career with the company has simple beginnings.
'I was taking classes at Missouri Southern and was specializing in business with French as my subspecialty. And I got an internship with EaglePicher as an international contracts. We had contracts with a French company at the time,' said Mauk.
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She then worked in the quality department… as quality specialist before working her way up to quality engineer.
'My day-to-day job is essentially looking at what the customer has supplied to us as requirements for a battery that they need produced,' said Mauk.
She's part of a team that ensures all of those requirements are included during the build process of the battery.
'It's a matter of doing inspections, of doing reviews of contracts of specifications and statement of work that come in from the customer,' said Mauk.
All that to say, she's a really big deal.
'We joke that dull and boring is good,' said Mauk.
Another part of her role is helping make sure that each individual component that goes into each battery is traceable.
'In case there is ever something that a manufacturer contacts us and says, 'This has a problem in functioning.' We're able to trace it back to the exact battery and address whether it's going to be a risk to the end mission,' said Mauk.
Because, again, it's some really serious stuff.
'There is no going back and correcting a problem after it has launched. You have to do it right the first time,' said Mauk.
Lately, she's been working on batteries for the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission, which is expected to let astronauts circumnavigate the moon, slated for April of next year.
'A man-rated flight, so there is a lot of care that has to be taken to ensure that the lives of astronauts are safe,' said Mauk.
Then, in mid-2027, the 4-person crew of Artemis III will land on the moon, a contract EaglePicher is also already tasked with.
'The batteries are important for the safety of the astronauts during the mission. There are features incorporated in case they need to abort the launch that will require the battery to function because the astronauts could be knocked out due to the G-force,' said Mauk.
What does she think that day's going to feel like?
'A whole lot of relief. // But there will definitely be joy, and enthusiasm for seeing it finally go,' said Mauk.
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