Artemis II This week

​Hello everyone!

With Artemis II scheduled for this week, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means for humans to return to deep space after more than fifty years. A couple of years ago, I wrote an article anticipating this moment, focusing on the cultural and human dimensions of lunar missions and thinking about how astronauts might experience distance, awe, and unfamiliar environments in ways that differ significantly from more recent low Earth orbit missions. At the time, Artemis II still felt somewhat abstract. Now that it’s about to happen, it feels much more immediate. If you’re interested, you can read it here:
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4596/1

The article looks at things like how differently astronauts will experience distance from Earth compared to ISS crews, and how moments of awe (like seeing Earth "shrink" in size with distance or encountering the Moon up close) may shape their perceptions in ways we don’t fully understand yet. I’ve also been speaking with a few reporters about the mission this week, and I have a short piece set to appear on Monday on the website The Conversation that looks at intellectual humility in current hit movie (you can probably guess which one).  I’ll be watching Wednesday’s launch, but can't wait to hear more about the experiences of the amazing Moon-bound crew. Deana P.S. As a Grand Rapidian, I'm especially excited that the first woman to travel to the Moon, Christina Koch, was born right here. This is an exciting moment for our city.