Darin Zebel, a former Fair Grove alumni, recently was involved in the NASA Artemis II mission. During his time working on the mission, Zebel never forgot the town that raised him throughout his earlier years and the lasting impact the memories have had on him.
Zebel grew up through the Fair Grove halls, spending all 13 years of his early education at the school. After graduation, he went to Missouri State University and Missouri S&T to get a degree in chemical engineering. Once he received his degree, Zebel went to work for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
Zebel works for Lockheed Martin Space on NASA’s Orion program. Zebel explained what exactly the program does, “Working as a Manufacturing Engineer for Lockheed Martin Space on NASA’s Orion program means my team supports the physical building of the spacecraft by contributing to design plans, sourcing parts, writing work instructions, and overseeing integration of components.”
After earning his degree, Zebel had a hard time getting a job. Zebel stated, “I had to deliver pizza for a while, which was very humbling. I believe that God put me in the right place at the right time to get the job that I have.”
Zebel was involved with NASA’s Artemis II mission. Zebel explained what his team worked on during the duration of the mission, “I am an Ordnance Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Orion, so my team’s primary focus on Artemis II was explosives, but I was also Manufacturing Engineer Lead for parachutes, windows, and the Launch Abort System (LAS).”
Zebel wasn’t specifically involved with the launch itself. The launch was handled at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Outside of work, Zebel is involved with his family, but has many hobbies of his own. Zebel stated, “I grew up mowing my parents’ two-acre lawn with my brother and father, and we also mowed the church yard across the street from our house on Main Street.”
Zebel continued, “We live on Merritt Island, where Kennedy Space Center is located, only four miles from the Atlantic beaches, so we go to the beach as often as we can. I also run almost every day, and I enjoy baking my mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls.”
During his time at Fair Grove, Zebel ran Track and played Basketball. He was the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) parliamentarian for three years, and during his senior year they went to state and then nationals in California. Zebel was also active in the Science Olympiad and went to multiple math contests. Furthermore, Zebel’s family hosted the very first foreign exchange students at Fair Grove.
Zebel explained what he did outside of high school, “One of my best friends growing up was Jamie Jones, whose father, Steve Jones, was in charge of a small company that produced aerial firework shows. The biggest was called Firefall, which was held on the grounds of the Springfield Airport. During high school and early college, I worked many local fireworks shows with Jamie and his family.”
Zebel stated his love for Fair Grove, “I had a very Norman Rockwell kind of childhood. My family still owns my childhood home on Main Street, where my brother, Brian Zebel, and I grew up. I love Fair Grove, always have, always will. It is a special place to me.”
Even as his life moves on, Fair Grove has always had a special place in his heart. Zebel explained, “No matter where I go or what I do, Fair Grove will always be a big part of me, filling my memories and coloring the way I see the world.”
