(Credit: NASA / Robert Markowitz)
Outer space is the final frontier for human exploration. Much of what lies deep in space far beyond Earth’s orbit has yet to be explored by humans, except via cameras, telescopes, and robots.
Now, NASA has helped kick-start a new era of space exploration with a series of missions designed to culminate in a crewed lunar landing, NBC News reported. The mission, Artemis II, features a diverse crew, including the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission. Christina Koch, the mission specialist for Artemis II, has already broken several records and is now adding a new one to her resume.
A Record-Breaking Space Flight
Artemis II followed a trajectory that took its crew deep into space and around the moon. Reid Wiseman, the commander, Victor Glover, the pilot, and Koch and Jeremy Hansen, the mission specialists, went farther from Earth than any humans have before, breaking the previous record set by the Apollo 13 crew five decades ago.
Their mission was also the first time NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule carried a crew. The Orion capsule will be used in future Artemis missions as well, paving the way for humans to use it to return astronauts to the moon in a mission planned for 2028.
No Stranger to Breaking Records
But the all-star crew is no stranger to exploring new frontiers and taking part in historic missions. Glover was the first person of color on a lunar mission; Hansen was the first Canadian on a lunar mission, and Koch became the first woman to take part in such a mission.
Koch has already set several other records. She has extensive experience as an astronaut aboard the International Space Station and spent almost all of 2019 in orbit. Her 328-day ISS stay was the all-time longest single spaceflight by a woman. And Koch completed a spacewalk with fellow astronaut Jessica Meir, marking NASA’s first all-female spacewalk.
A Team Triumph
Koch explained that teamwork and a diverse set of backgrounds contributed to the mission’s success, according to Space.com.
“I think for me, [Artemis II] comes down to not being any single individual's accomplishments. The accomplishment that we can celebrate together is that we got here. Decades ago, we made the right decisions so that our astronaut corps brings diverse backgrounds together to solve the hardest problems. And that, to me, is what's truly worth celebrating, and what I'm honored to be a part of,” Koch said in an interview that was shared by Space.com.
She added that the mission was made possible thanks to her crewmates’ professionalism and teamwork and the contributions of the wider team working to send them beyond low Earth orbit.
“What has happened in the last few months, for me, is the consolidation and momentum that's building in the wider team — the flight control team, the launch control team,” Koch said. “Every person that walks into every room is just ready to contribute the most that they can, and to get to the right answer as a team. And it has been awesome.”
The Artemis II crew is proving that diverse experiences and backgrounds can push humanity beyond the final frontier. A crew and team working together, each contributing their own personal experiences and strengths, is exactly what Artemis needs to get off the ground and shoot for the moon.
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