A few weeks ago, I joined many other Americans on an official livestream to witness NASA’s most recent launch, Artemis II, take off. The fact that this mission was the first time astronauts were being sent to the moon in over 50 years fascinated me, especially since I researched it for months leading up to the launch date. But I didn’t research this particular mission for a project. I researched it purely because I was curious.

The day after my eighth birthday in 2018, I watched my first NASA launch in person on Satellite Beach, just 45 minutes away from Kennedy Space Center. We had been visiting my great-grandma and I remember coming back to Georgia after that trip, immediately begging my parents for my very own telescope to look at the moon from my backyard. From that moment on, anything space-related never failed to amaze me.

Astronomy has always been a part of my life. Maybe that’s why I felt so emotionally affected by Artemis II. This mission was so much more than just making space discoveries. To me, it was about deep human connection and the lessons we can learn from the crew that explored the far side of the moon.

Powerful Moments on the Ship

In the video above, astronaut Jeremy Hansen announced on a NASA livestream that the crew had made the decision to name a bright crater on the moon after Commander Reid Wiseman’s deceased wife, Carroll Taylor Wiseman. What struck me most about this moment was how emotional everyone on the ship was. Seeing those four people bond so closely over such a personal event in Commander Wiseman’s life made me realize how much Artemis II meant to those astronauts. No longer was this a simple space study, it was a permanent bonding experience for everyone aboard.

Feminism in Space

Just like that viral video, I’m also sure the majority of the internet has seen the photo taken of Mission Specialist Christina Koch looking out the spaceship window at earth. The braids in her hair are what caught the attention of so many people, including myself. I think braids represent such an important part of “girlhood” and seeing that photo made me feel so seen. Does this image send a clear message of feminism and what women can accomplish? Of course. But to me, it means something deeper. It shows that these global ideas of girlhood and femininity can transcend into our atmosphere. To me, seeing Koch silently represent all of the girls on Earth in one single picture gives me a different sense of hope for humanity and for feminism as a whole.

“A crew is a group that is in it all the time, no matter what, that is stroking together every minute with the same purpose, that is willing to sacrifice silently for each other, that gives grace, that holds [each other] accountable,” Koch said to NASA after landing back on Earth. “A crew has the same cares and the same needs.”

Growing up, my mom always made sure I had plenty of female role models to follow. I remember reading books like “Rad American Women A-Z” and “Women in Science” that taught me who to look up to in the world.

One of those women was Christina Koch. When I was around nine years old, I was first introduced to her when I heard she helped complete the first all-female spacewalk. Hearing about women like her breaking down barriers inspired me for the same reason the women in those children’s books inspired me. If they could do such amazing things and make such huge differences in our world, what was stopping me from doing the same?

Powerful messages like this don’t just describe any other blastoff mission into space. These emotions can only come from an experience that has truly changed one’s perspective on the world around them. While I may just be a high school student who doesn’t even want to pursue astronomy in the future, I look up to these astronauts. Not because they observed the dark side of the moon or because they navigated deep space, but because they represent what it truly means to be a crew inside and out.

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