Good news has been few and far between lately. Everywhere I turn, it’s one bad news story after another and another and another …Very rarely is there news that makes me smile. But I was all smiles reading the news this past week and a half as NASA sent a successful manned mission to orbit the moon! The Artemis space program intends to send multiple missions to conduct research and prepare to eventually land on its surface in 2028.
It’s the first time since 1972, when the Apollo program ended, that astronauts have been sent to the moon. As part of the Artemis II mission, the Orion spacecraft blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, April 1, carrying four astronauts ready to conquer a ten-day mission. The launch itself was enough to bring tears of happiness to my eyes, as it made me feel that child-like wonder I haven’t experienced in a long time. I swear that if I were smarter in STEM fields, I would have studied to be a NASA scientist or astronaut. But, alas, I’m forced to watch here from the ground.
The Artemis II crew was composed of four talented astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christian Koch, all from NASA, as well as Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). And of course, we can’t forget about their mascot and zero-gravity indicator, Rise. The plushie was designed by an eight-year-old from California, and inside, it contains a data chip with millions of names of people who signed up to be included in the mission. Rise’s purpose, other than being cute, was to float around and show those watching the livestream when the astronauts reached space. I’m still waiting on the announcement that Rise replica plushies will be available to purchase.
Every joyful moment and milestone to have come out of the mission showcased the splendor of humanity—and each brought a smile to my face. For starters, the spacecraft traveled the furthest any human has ever traveled: a whopping 252,756 miles from Earth. The mission also featured the first female astronaut in Koch, the first Black astronaut in Glover, and the first Canadian astronaut in Hansen to have ever orbited the moon. The crew also witnessed a rare solar eclipse not visible to us here on Earth, and they were able to see parts of the moon never before seen by the human eye.
The four astronauts were able to identify craters on the surface of the moon which had not previously been named. For one particularly bright crater, they proposed the name “Carroll,” after the wife of Commander Wiseman, Carroll Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020. After proposing the name to mission control, the four shared a floating embrace. I shed a few tears after that. They named another crater “Integrity,” after their space capsule.
Aside from the momentous occasions, the less significant moments brought me small amounts of joy, too. A jar of Nutella flew across the frame during one livestream, and the astronauts could be seen playing with Rise during a press event (they gave Rise the microphone, but he didn’t have anything to say). The toilet got clogged, and Microsoft Outlook apparently wasn’t working onboard, which isn’t that funny, but it’s nice knowing that human problems still happen in space.
And did you know that Chappell Roan has played in space? Flight controllers woke up the astronauts each day with a new music pick. One day it was “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan, another day they woke up to “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie, and another day they played “Lonesome Drifter” by Charley Crockett.
Over the course of the ten days, seeing the crew members take unbridled joy in their work, gazing back in awe at our planet, celebrating when they got awesome photos, and sharing everything they learned with the rest of us enlivened my week. With all the bad news happening and all of life’s stress, we really needed this one really good thing.
I’ve heard lots of people ask: Why are we going back to the moon? To some, it may seem like a waste of time and resources, but the Artemis program is doing a lot more than bringing joy. NASA is conducting critical research for future space travel, such as testing life-support systems, potentially discovering valuable resources, and eventually setting the stage for travel to Mars.
The Integrity capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California on Friday, April 10. After bobbing in the waves for a bit and being cleared by medical teams, all four astronauts are home safe with their families. Rise went home with Wiseman, who seems to have grown attached to the little moon plushie.
If you missed the excitement or want to reminisce, hours of coverage are available for free on NASA’s Youtube channel. And don’t worry. For all you fellow space nerds, the fun will continue next year with the Artemis III mission and in 2028 with a moon landing.
I’m hoping that, in addition to everything that came out of this mission, it can also serve as a reminder for all of humanity. Every single one of us is a valuable human life, and maybe seeing the new pictures of our beautiful planet we all call home will put that into perspective.
