Millions of people were glued to their television screens and social media platforms last week, keenly following the historic return of human beings to the vicinity of the Moon after a hiatus of more than fifty years. Four remarkable individuals undertook the ten-day journey that carried them to the farthest point from Earth that any human beings have ever reached, marking a significant milestone in space exploration and rekindling widespread global interest in crewed lunar missions once again.
Artemis II, which is the name of the mission that transported the four astronauts to the far side of the Moon and back, travelled a distance of 406,800 kilometres from Earth. In doing so, it surpassed the record previously held by Apollo 13, which reached 400,171 kilometres in 1970. Following a mechanical fault that developed on that spacecraft, it was decided that the crew should abandon their planned lunar landing and instead orbit the Moon on a free-return trajectory back to Earth. A free-return trajectory makes use of the Moon’s gravitational pull to bend the spacecraft’s path back towards Earth without requiring a significant engine burn.
The Artemis II crew achieved several notable firsts. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian national, became the first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit. Another mission specialist, Christina Koch, became the first woman to venture into deep space, while the spacecraft pilot, Victor Glover, became the first Black person to do so. At fifty, the mission commander, Reid Wiseman, holds the distinction of being the oldest individual to travel into deep space.
The inclusivity reflected in the selection of the crew illustrates how far NASA has progressed since its early years. In the 1950s, the organisation was known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). At that time, the complex mathematical calculations required to send spacecraft into orbit were performed by human beings, as computers were either nonexistent or not sufficiently advanced. In 1953, a Black woman named Katherine Johnson joined NACA as one of these human “computers”. She was among three Black women employed for this crucial work. However, prevailing policies did not allow shared use of facilities between races, and so they were required to use separate bathrooms and dining areas. By contrast, the Artemis II crew shared a single toilet and ate together without segregation, a marked departure from the conditions that existed during Johnson’s time.
Glover made a profound observation during the outward journey to the Moon. As the crew looked back at the receding Earth, which appeared as a delicate blue sphere, they were reminded that it is home to Homo sapiens. Glover referred to Homo sapiens as a single species. The harmony that characterised the small community within the Orion capsule is, however, difficult to replicate on Earth, where conflict remains all too common. Indeed, even as Artemis II was returning home, reports emerged that one of the world’s oldest civilisations faced the threat of devastation. Such realities underscore how divided humanity is. In this respect, modern NASA offers valuable lessons in fostering unity across racial and cultural divides.
It was refreshing to hear Glover and Koch, representing both racial and gender milestones, describe the features of the Moon’s far side in clear scientific language. Terms such as “albedo” frequently featured in their descriptions, reflecting both precision and professionalism. Their responses to questions from mission control were equally composed and articulate, demonstrating their command of the subject matter and their ability to communicate complex observations with admirable clarity.
Many people have asked why the Artemis II astronauts did not land on the Moon, expressing difficulty in understanding a journey that stops short of its apparent destination. If someone claims to have travelled from Blantyre to Lilongwe, for instance, it would be natural to ask about landmarks within the city, assuming they had actually entered it. However, missions to the Moon must be viewed as part of a broader programme involving several carefully planned stages and clearly defined technical and operational objectives.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Apollo programme included missions with differing objectives. Some were uncrewed, while others, though crewed, were not intended to land. Apollo 8, for example, carried Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders around the Moon to test spacecraft systems in deep space and gather essential data for future landings. Similarly, Artemis II was designed to test the redesigned spacecraft and collect the information necessary for subsequent missions. It forms part of a larger plan that will eventually see human beings return to the lunar surface, with Artemis III expected to carry astronauts to the Moon and test the lunar landers intended for operations on the surface.