Column: Artemis inspires, rekindles space dreams
NASA’s Artemis II mission is sparking a renewed sense of wonder, curiosity, and possibility as humanity looks beyond Earth once again
A 21st-century space “race” may very well be underway, and it was jump-started last week with NASA’s launch of Artemis II.
Four astronauts were blasted into space and put on a four-day journey to orbit the moon. Yesterday, there was wall-to-wall coverage on YouTube, cable, and streaming services of the Orion spacecraft’s trek around the moon.
It was awesome and featured inspiring images and videos never seen before, or at least seen since the last human walked on the moon 52 years ago. The excitement from millions across the country and more around the world has been amazing.
NASA’s project continues next year with a docking mission in low Earth orbit and then the big one, the 2028 mission to land on the moon. It already feels like we’re traveling back in time to 1969, as most Americans have never witnessed a lunar landing.
The Artemis project continues to inspire and has led to countless new people becoming more enthralled with space travel, taking their imaginations to new heights, and kids dreaming of becoming astronauts. Perhaps it’s nostalgia, the reminder of our youth of a “better time,” but it’s been an emotional whirlwind and one that gets the creative juices flowing.
Spaceflight has always tickled my imagination and discussions with friends. While they usually start in practical terms as I pick the brains of experts and those who’ve worked on these incredible projects, the conversation inevitably goes off the rails into the realms of “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” as the possibilities are, or at least feel, endless.
