Lexington Native and Holmes Alumnus Honored by NASA for Artemis Program Contributions
Terry Abel, a 1979 Holmes Junior College graduate and Lexington native, was recently awarded NASA’s prestigious Silver Snoopy Award for his contributions to the heat shield of the Artemis I Orion spacecraft. The heat shield is vital to the Artemis Program and the agency’s initiative to return humans to the moon and provide a safe return.
Abel was recognized for his leadership in addressing issues with Orion’s heat shield, which developed cracks during the spacecraft’s re-entry after the first Artemis test flight. His work leading inspection, testing, and materials analysis helped improve the design and ensure the safety of future missions.
Abel’s path to NASA began in Mississippi. After graduating from Holmes Junior College in 1979, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering (1982) and a master’s in mechanical engineering (1983) from Mississippi State University.
But for Abel, the roots of his success stretch back to his hometown and his Holmes experience.
“Holmes gave me the foundation I needed,” Abel said. “It was a place where people cared about your success — both in and out of the classroom.”
The Silver Snoopy Award is one of NASA’s highest honors, presented personally by astronauts to less than 1 percent of the agency’s workforce. It recognizes outstanding achievements related to flight safety and mission success.
Abel serves as a technical liaison with Lockheed Martin at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, where he oversees engineering efforts tied to the Orion spacecraft — the vehicle that will carry astronauts on deep-space missions as part of Artemis.
His efforts previously earned him NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2017, the agency’s highest honor for non-government employees.
As NASA prepares for the next Artemis missions, Abel continues to play a critical role in ensuring Orion’s systems meet the demands of deep-space flight. Yet despite the high-tech surroundings of his daily work, he remains grounded in the values instilled in Lexington and at Holmes.
Abel is married to Linda Sims Abel, also a 1979 Holmes graduate. The couple met during their time at the college. He is the son of Alice Abel of Lexington and the late Phillip Abel.
For the Holmes Community College family, Abel’s story serves as a reminder that great achievements often begin right here in Mississippi.
Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering contributed to the story and was written by Camille Carskadon.
