The United States of America has plenty to celebrate with the successful return of the Artemis 2 Astronauts to Earth after their ten-day mission.
We should all celebrate the great minds and people who made this mission possible.
I’m reminded of the phrase that you can be anything you want if you put your mind to it.
There is a quote or phrase attributed to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, saying, “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I know I can achieve it.”
I wonder if the mission pilot Victor Glover, who is the first person of color to fly to the moon, thought those words. We should also keep in mind that NASA did not accept minorities into its astronaut corps until 1978, six years after the last Apollo astronauts launched for the moon.
On the other end of the spectrum was his second mission specialist, Christina Koch, who is the first person to have attended U.S. Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and then fly to the moon.
We can all celebrate their success in life.
Although my youngest grandson attended the U.S. Space Camp® at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, when he was ten or eleven, the impact of sending him to something special during the summer hasn’t fully played out yet.
The next U.S. Space Camp® at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is scheduled for May 24–29, 2026 (Space Camp Expedition 35).
It’s an investment in the future.
Space Camp | U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Of course, living here in Huntsville, we know why facilities have specific names, such as the Von Braun Center, and why Huntsville is named the “Rocket City.”
It’s a humbling experience to understand the history of those who paved the way, such as the German-born American rocket engineer, Wernher von Braun. Dr. von Braun (1912–1977)
Interestingly, there were many other firsts, notably NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, which was the first to launch astronauts toward the moon in more than 50 years.
Moon milestones: A rundown of Artemis 2’s many spaceflight firsts
Not to mention that the Artemis 2 astronauts have also seen parts of the far side of the moon that have never been directly viewed by humans before.
As history was made this past week, only time will tell fifty years from now how all this data will be put together.
I’m sure that both Victor Glover and Christina Koch never saw this moment coming as part of the Artemis 2 astronauts.
Maybe these three quotes will inspire you to look beyond the stars, just as they did.
“Exploration knows no bounds; it’s a journey beyond the stars.” – Neil Armstrong
“In the vastness of dreams, find the courage to reach for galaxies yet unseen.” – Carl Sagan
“Unleash your imagination—sometimes, the extraordinary is just a thought away.” – Stephen Hawking
Today, although you and I didn’t go to the moon, I challenge you to think about what unexpected blessing you didn’t see coming your way that has taken you on a journey out of this world.
It is amazing how far man has come since the 1960’s to the present. We commend super pilot Victor Glover for leaving the charge to space. Getting to space isn’t an easy feet but marvel of a collaborative efforts from multiple sources to get this mission accomplished. I hope in the future we have more explorers that reflects our motivation to explore space travel.
Jerome,
Thanks so much for the feedback and input. It is amazing. I think what is also amazing is that the public has heard little about Mission Pilot, a man of color, Victor Glover. We need to take God for his successes in this adventure.
McKinley
Houston We do NOT have a problem. Mission to the Moon successfully!!! History was made.
Scott,
You’re right, “We do NOT have a problem.” Thank God the “Mission to the Moon” was successfully executed and history was made.
McKinley
The great success of the Artemis 2 mission and the achievement of Victor Glover and his crewmates caused me to reflect on the accomplishments of Katherine Johnson whose remarkable story I was regrettably unfamiliar with until the movie “Hidden Figures.” During her 33-year career at NASA, she and her co-workers were responsible for calculating trajectories, launch windows, and emergency return paths for space launches that included the Project Mercury space flight for Alan Shepard and John Glenn. She also was a part of developing rendezvous paths for the Apollo Lunar Module and her calculations were essential to the beginning of the space shuttle program. Incredibly, she made these monumental contributions despite the State of Virginia racial segregation laws and the federal workplace segregation laws introduced under President Woodrow Wilson. She and the other African American women with whom she worked were relegated to the “Colored Computer” area where they were required to work, eat, and use the restrooms. We all know that separate has never been close to equal. Yet Katherine Johnson and her African American contemporaries rose to the challenge, exceeded all expectations, and left an indelible mark of success from their time at NASA. Victor Glover stands on the shoulders of Katherine Johnson and women like her, a fact I’m sure he acknowledges and greatly appreciates.
Sam,
Thank you for providing me with a brief history lesson about Katherine Johnson and her African American contemporaries at NASA. You’re correct, Victor Glover stands on the shoulders of Katherine Johnson. We all have shoulders we have stood on, and I appreciate your insight that I missed.
McKinley
Growing up, in the late fifties and sixties, we are almost numb by the resemblance these days remind us of those difficult days. We were sure, ten(10) years ago, that we would be flying with the angles before the “fifties / sixties mentality” returned to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Former police officer driving south to New Orleans with loaded weapons and ammunition to commit mass murder during a music concert and we now question, “should we attend crowded events or just remain home?” As a senior citizen, we are going to go where we desire and what happens, happens.
Judge Pettway,
As I read your comments, I’m reminded of what happened recently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with Active Shooters. We are living in difficult times.
McKinley