Filtered by the noise coming from a mostly blocked Strait of Hormuz, missiles and drones over the eastern end of the Mediterranean Ocean involving multiple countries, and even the Final Four, the Artemis II trip around the moon (Herald, April 11) showed something easy to overlook: a variety of humans can exist together in close quarters.
Now completed, with a successful 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 was only 10 days – April 1 to April 10 – but the four reportedly worked well together in a space described as roughly the size of two minivans, with a shared bathroom. For 40 minutes, while on the other side of the moon, they were out of contact with Earth. They had only one another to communicate with; by all accounts, 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 appear to have been close to flawless. There were minor issues – including a malfunctioning toilet fan, a temporary communications dropout, a faulty sensor alert and other small glitches – 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.
Add to that 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 bottom half of the lunar module, Eagle – a nod to the historic and deeply resonant statement, “The Eagle has landed” – and the U.S. flag still standing on the lunar surface, a striking reminder that those earlier achievements were real and enduring.
With global Earth Day on April 22 – marking its 56th anniversary and observed in more than 190 countries – and Durango’s Earth Day celebration on April 18, that perspective is timely. From that distance, there are no borders or political divisions – just one planet.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former astronaut, noted that the mission 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 itself 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 by NASA across administrations and with international partners. That continuity – and that initial push – 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 frequently dismissive of expertise and experience. When a highly trained astronaut can be brushed aside as “just an astronaut,” it’s worth asking what, exactly, we value. That role represents years of training, technical skill and responsibility under extreme conditions.
Artemis II offers a different example – one built on cooperation, competence and shared purpose.
That’s worth reflecting upon.
