Filtered by the noise coming from a mostly blocked Strait of Hormuz, missiles and drones over the eastern end of the Mediterranean involving multiple countries, and even the Final Four, the Artemis II trip around the moon (Journal, April 11) showed something easy to overlook: a variety of humans can exist together in close quarters.
Now completed with a successful April 10 splashdown in the Pacific, the mission delivered not only on its technical goals but on that point as well.
The crew of four – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen – was diverse in gender and race, and included a Canadian, the first non-American on a moon flight. Koch became the first woman to travel to the moon, and Glover the first Black astronaut to do so.
Granted, the flight lasted only 10 days, but the four, by all accounts, worked well together in a space roughly the size of two minivans, with a shared bathroom. For 40 minutes, while on the far side of the moon, they were out of contact with Earth. They had only one another; that remained steady and professional.
How far from Earth did Artemis II travel? More than 250,000 miles. Contrast that with the approximately 250 miles above Earth that is the International Space Station’s orbit.
The technical aspects of the mission were close to flawless. There were minor issues – a malfunctioning toilet fan, a temporary communications dropout, a faulty sensor alert – but nothing that altered the outcome. The spacecraft performed as intended, carrying the crew farther than any humans have ever traveled and returning them safely.
There is also a local angle worth noting. The orange recovery rafts used to pull the astronauts from the Pacific were not built by a major contractor, but by Jack’s Plastic Welding in nearby Aztec, New Mexico (Journal, April 22). A small team spent years designing and refining the inflatable platforms used by Navy crews, developing new techniques along the way. Even the most high-profile missions depend on craftsmanship, persistence and innovation that often come from places much closer to home.
And then there are the images – Earth, small and blue against the darkness – a reminder of “Earthrise,” first captured during Apollo 8 in 1968, and the “Blue Marble” image from 1972, photographs that changed how we see our planet.
The mission also returned clear views tied to that legacy, including the Apollo 11 landing site from July 20, 1969, with the base of the lunar module still visible and the U.S. flag standing on the surface – a striking reminder that those earlier achievements were real and enduring.
With global Earth Day observed last week on April 22 – marking its 56th anniversary in more than 190 countries – that perspective remains timely. From that distance, there are no borders or political divisions – just one planet.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former astronaut, noted after the mission that it briefly brought people together. “For a few days, many were watching the same thing, following the same crew, pulling in the same direction.” That is something we see less and less – and need more of.
Artemis marks humanity’s return to the moon. The program took shape in 2017, when President Donald Trump directed NASA to return humans to the moon, and it has continued since, reflecting years of work across administrations and with international partners. That continuity helped lead to this moment.
The name also connects directly to Apollo. In mythology, Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo. The earlier era proved we could reach the moon. This one may be more about what comes next.
While four astronauts worked together in tight quarters to complete a complex mission, much of the discourse here on Earth remains divided and dismissive of expertise. When a highly trained astronaut can be brushed aside as “just an astronaut,” it’s worth asking what, exactly, we value.
Artemis II offers a different example – one built on cooperation, competence and shared purpose.
That’s worth reflecting upon.
