07 Jul 2026
Previously, I wrote about the 'Execution Cliff', the gap between a strategic decision and its delivery. I noted that the most effective way to bridge it is for an advisor to step into a fractional role, owning the setup until the team can run.
As I reflected on this, I found myself looking at the moon. As a 7-year-old, I watched mesmerised as Neil Armstrong took a “Giant Leap for Mankind.”
It's been over half a century since we first landed there. This month marks the 55th anniversary of Apollo 14, the mission that proved we could truly operate in a hostile environment.
Now, history is repeating.
Artemis II, the first crewed mission to return humans to lunar orbit in a generation, is preparing for launch (targeted for March 2026). It's the precursor to Artemis III, NASA's mission to land humans on the moon again, targeted for 2027.
But here is what fascinates me: The entire program structure has changed.
Apollo was vertical integration. One organization, one chain of command. Brilliant, but brittle.
Artemis is a masterpiece of fractional execution.
NASA holds the vision. They own the "why." But the "how" is distributed across commercial partners. Specialists who embed their expertise and deliver outcomes NASA could not achieve alone.
· SpaceX steps in as the fractional lead for the landing system.
· Lockheed Martin builds the Orion capsule.
· Global agencies contribute specialized modules.
They are not permanent employees. They are embedded experts who bridge the gap between ambition and reality. They set the trajectory, hand over the capability, and step back.
This is exactly what I described in my last post: the advisor who steps into a fractional role to own the setup and initial momentum. Not to replace the team, but to embed, secure the trajectory, and conclude once the path is set.
The Artemis program proves the model works at the highest stakes.
When technical challenges arise, like the recent hydrogen leak that delayed the Artemis II launch, his distributed network diagnoses and solves them. The handoff doesn't break because the partners own the outcome.
The lesson for leaders?
If you want to achieve your own "2027 moon landing", a transformation, expansion, or shift, embrace the Artemis model.
Stop trying to build everything in-house. Bring in fractional experts who have already solved the problem you're facing. Let them bridge the cliff and set the trajectory. Then let your team run.
To every fractional executive reading this: You are not just a consultant. You are the commercial partner in someone else's Artemis mission. You are the bridge.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Is your organization preparing for Apollo or Artemis?