695,000 miles. 10 days. 4 humans. One Crew. 

Friday evening, at 5:07 p.m. off the coast of San Diego, four astronauts splashed down in the Pacific. They had just completed a 695,000-mile round trip, traveling as far as 252,756 miles from Earth — further than any people have been from Earth.

Over the weekend, I was reading and watching about the Artemis II mission. As we know, there are significant risks involved in these missions in search of knowledge. I was watching the four astronauts speak after their return to planet earth.

It is fascinating to think about this mission and what’s ahead.

1. Comfort zones don’t get you to the Moon

The Orion spacecraft was not a proven veteran. This was its first crewed deep-space flight. There was significant risk. Reid Wiseman, Victor Jerome Glover Jr., Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Ryan Hansen knew it. NASA knew it. They went anyway  because exploration only happens outside what’s familiar.

Source: NASA.gov

2. Earth is one crew (We are one Team) 

Think about what Christina Hammock Koch was really saying after getting back to earth. From 250,000 miles out, all of our divisions, our borders, our arguments, our org charts disappear. What we see from space is one lifeboat (earth), and everyone on it is a crew. Not passengers. Not observers. Crew  with responsibilities to each other.

The Crew

• Reid Wiseman — Commander, NASA
• Victor Jerome Glover Jr. — Pilot, NASA
• Christina Hammock Koch — Mission Specialist, NASA
• Jeremy Ryan Hansen — Mission Specialist, CSA

Source: NASA.gov

This mission itself lived that truth. Built by people from 14 countries, the mission also involved collaborations with the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Jeremy Ryan Hansen became Canada’s first deep-space traveler as he flew alongside three Americans. Engineers across continents trusted each other’s work.

“When we saw tiny Earth, people asked our crew what impressions we had. Earth is just this lifeboat.” Planet Earth, you are a crew. — Christina Hammock Koch, Mission Specialist, Artemis II

Ordinary citizens were also invited to witness the mission and be a part. Rise the cute mission mascot (official designation: the Zero Gravity Indicator) was designed by 8 year old Lucas Ye. Over 2,600 designs were submitted from over 50 countries. 

The mission had a livestream giving people a glimpse into Integrity, mission control and their conversations. Another great outcome of this mission were the incredible photos that were then shared by and resonated with so many.  

3. Purpose is our fuel

At 250,000 miles from home, with Earth just a glowing marble in the window, you don’t keep going on motivation. You keep going on purpose, along with meticulous planning, training and execution. Reid Wiseman led a crew that knew exactly why they were there for scientific discovery, for the knowledge that only comes from going.

This mission lays the groundwork for the upcoming Artemis III and Artemis IV mission, which will once again bring humanity back to the moon. 

4. Never give up the ground you’ve won

53 years ago, humanity left the Moon and didn’t go back. This week, NASA said something different: this time, they returned to stay. The focus now turns to building a lunar base, returning to the surface, and staying. Victor, Jerome Glover Jr. and Christina Hammock Koch didn’t just complete a mission; they proved the path forward.

Source: NASA.gov

Don’t abandon your progress when the hard part is done. The splashdown isn’t the finish line  it’s the proof of concept. From 250,000 miles away, Christina Hammock Koch saw it clearly. Earth is the lifeboat. And every one of us is one crew. Competent. Trained. Capable of extraordinary things.

Thank you for reading.

Karthik Chidambaram.