In a world filled with unnecessary turmoil and division, fuelled largely by what we’re subjected to by social media and news outlets, the past couple of weeks have demonstrated and reminded us that those platforms can also unite and uplift us with hope and joy, and should do so a lot more often.
Millions of people from all over the planet have been drawn together to support and celebrate four very special pioneers who escaped its clutches, broke records and made history, playing their part in a relay that aims to expand humanity’s horizons in new and exciting ways.
They did it by completing a test flight around the moon, travelling the greatest distance from Earth than anyone has ever done before, and gathering a treasure trove of imagery and scientific data along the way. This will enable NASA to move forward with plans to set up a base on our lunar companion, which they hope in turn will provide the opportunity for humans to travel to Mars.
To begin with, the Artemis II mission did fly under the radar a bit, while the astronauts soared high above our heads, as there have been far less pleasant stories dominating the headlines of late. So it was lovely to hear the launch had been successful, but I think I was one of many people who assumed that we wouldn’t get to learn much more about the mission until they got back.
But thankfully the algorithms did us all a favour, revealing NASA’s live streams and social media pages, which became as inescapable as Earth’s gravity and pulled people into a wormhole of discovery. I got drawn into it from around the third day I think, and just couldn’t let it go from there. The cheerful personalities of the astronauts, the clear communications from Mission Control, the stunning photography, the incredible technology and the dangers they had to overcome made it exciting and addictive to keep an eye on.
So now our heroes are back safely on Earth, here’s a look back through the mission to pick out some of my favourite moments.
Continue reading “Moon Joy!”
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