The Artemis II mission brings together the people of the world.
The Artemis II launch earlier this year was a historic event: humanity’s first return to the moon in more than 50 years. But many are asking about the ethics of sending humans to space at such an unstable period in the world. These troubling times are exactly the reason we need such a mission: to bring together all of humanity. More than that, this mission serves as a stepping stone for all further space exploration and a platform for advances in technology. All of these benefits come at a relatively low cost, making the Artemis II mission well worth it.
The main argument against the mission is its expense. The Artemis II launch cost about $4 billion. This may seem like a lot at first glance, but it is a relatively small government expense. NASA makes up 0.36% of the federal budget, with 15-20% of NASA’s yearly budget being allocated to Artemis II – meaning that for every fifteen dollars of tax money an American pays, one cent of it goes to Artemis II. To put this into perspective, the Department of Defense reported recently that it has spent $25 billion in one month on the war in Iran, the equivalent of the entire NASA budget per year.
This expense is worth it: the Artemis II mission not only took humans farther from the Earth than we have ever gone before, but also was vital to the development of future space exploration. This was a test run for every system we will need to land on the moon in 2028, as NASA plans. From there, America is hoping to return to the moon at least once a year and set up a more permanent presence there. This will act as a stepping stone to Mars, allow us to utilize the resources of the moon for scientific and economic means, and allow access to the moon for research and discovery about our solar system and deep space.
In addition, the Artemis II mission itself contributed significant scientific findings to a variety of fields. These include human well-being and performance in deep space, geologic features and the history of the moon, space weather, and the effects of space on electrical systems. These findings will not only benefit astronauts – over 2,000 commercial products have been derived from NASA technologies over the years to benefit people on Earth. These products and this research would not have come to be without the Artemis II mission. Space exploration breeds innovation and is vital to the progress of the human species.
The crew was made up of four people: NASA astronauts Reid Weismann, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. This was a crew of firsts: Glover is the first person of color to travel to the moon, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-American. Even today, spaceflight remains a career path heavily dominated by white men. Representation among astronauts is vital for inspiring the next generation of dreamers; not just astronauts, but engineers, physicists, and all other areas of STEM where minorities remain underrepresented.
Finally: “moon joy”. A phrase coined by NASA during the mission, “moon joy,” describes “the feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the Moon”. This “moon joy” seemed infectious and took the internet by storm during the mission. From a great Nutella escape to problems with Microsoft Outlook, to flying batteries, to Pink Pony Club in space, the mission was a series of hilarious moments that brought joy to those back down on Earth. The astronauts brought with them more than just a great sense of humor: they brought love. On Earth today, at times, it can seem like the world is ending and hate runs rampant, but these four astronauts stepped up and showed us what it looks like to love those around you. From the space capsule that the crew chose to name the Integrity, they sent love messages from the moon, named a crater after Weismann’s late wife, Carroll, and shared many moments of joy and friendship, truly making the “moon joy” real.
It has to be acknowledged: the Earth is full of problems. But that doesn’t mean we should stop moving forward. Spaceflight is the frontier of science and engineering. It is human technology at its greatest and sits at the intersection of the real world and our imagination. At heart, humans are explorers and inventors. Without progress, what is there to live for? Today, the sky is no longer the limit. We shoot for the stars and have finally found a way to land among them.
