The Artemis II Mission Is Complete. Now What?

 

Image: NASA

I don’t think I even realized I was holding my breath until I exhaled loudly, tears involuntarily forming in my eyes, when we finally heard Reid Wiseman’s voice acknowledging Mission Control following the communication blackout during reentry. Within minutes thereafter, the Orion spacecraft Integrity deployed its main parachutes and splashed down perfectly in the Pacific Ocean to bring the Artemis II mission to the Moon to a close. It was indeed a cathartic moment for those of us Gen-Xers who’d in many ways unknowingly harbored Challenger trauma all these long years. The mission brought not only Gen-X, but millions of others, senses of peace, joy, happiness, and hope for the future we’d not felt in some time. Now that our “emotional support astronauts” Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen have returned home, we’re faced with a new question: What now?

 

Well, if you’re a space nerd like me and on the Threads social media platform, the euphoria continues. There are literally thousands of posts under the “Artemis II” topic heading. People continue to share their love of space and adoration for the crew of Integrity (and all those that supported them) over, and over, and over again… and I’m here for it. In fact, presumably (hopefully?) as the result of a cacophony of posts begging the fact, NASA joined Threads the day after the mission completed…. And within hours had already gained over eleven million followers. Behold, the power or nerds; I use that as a term of endearment, counting myself among the denizens of “space Threads” starving for competency in a time of ignorance.

 

What happens now that Artemis II is complete?

Our new Queen of Space. (Image: NASA)

 

For those of us who clung to news of the mission as if it were a lifeline, I’m sure “moon joy” posts will continue for a time across all social media platforms. I urge all participating to keep doing so. Keep the interest and attention going as long and as strongly as we can, because our support may be more desperately needed than ever before. While the Artemis Program is still a priority, NASAfunding, generally, clearly is not. The current White House’s “skinny budget” proposal includes a nearly one-quarter (23%, to be exact) reduction  in overall NASA funding. More alarming is the fact that the budget proposal contains a forty-seven (47%) percent reduction in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. That would slash science funding from $7.25 billion to $3.9 billion. If this, it would be a disastrous blow to scientific advancement.

 

So what can we do? For starters I suggest visiting NASA’s “Get Involved” website, which you can find HERE. Most importantly, though, is using our collective voice. The louder we shout, hopefully the more they’ll hear. Contact your senators and representatives in Congress. Let them know that the Artemis Program truly is and should be the new beginning of humanity’s reach for the stars. But whatever you do, continue to let the Astronauts, and all those supporting them at Mission Control and beyond, how much we appreciate them. 

Image credit unknown.

For our mental health, please also keep talking to one another, sharing posts, stories, and images. Embrace your newfound space-nerd brothers and sisters. Form new bonds and friendships. Revel in them. And keep looking up to the Moon, Carroll Crater, and beyond. Keep the moon joy going. To quote Firefly:

 

“You can’t take the sky from me.”