Millions of People Are Sending Their Names to the Moon as Part of NASA’s Artemis II Mission
“I cannot wait to hear their voices when they get to the far side of the Moon. There are a lot of places human eyes have never seen.” These are the words of Marie Henderson, who is bursting with excitement these days as she trains astronauts to venture on a journey to the Moon as part of NASA's Artemis II mission. After nearly half a century of waiting, this is the first trip to the Moon.
To add a touch of sentiment to the mission, NASA has made a curious plan by involving not just the four astronauts and the staff, but all the people from all across the world. Anyone can now send their name to the Moon, with just the click of a button, as part of NASA’s “Send Your Name with Artemis II” initiative, as described in a press release. The mission will send NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a ten-day odyssey to the Moon’s mysterious side, aboard the hulking 11-million-pound Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. To be launched in February 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission is the first manned lunar mission since 1972 when Apollo astronauts stepped on the Moon. There, they will conduct tests on life support systems, crew operations, navigation, communications, and safety procedures in deep space.
Meanwhile, a tiny digital memory chip will record millions of names from people worldwide. Before the launch of the mission, the chip will be loaded aboard Orion. “I try to imagine it now, and I just tear up thinking about it,” Henderson remarked and erupted into laughter. She added that she and the associated team are doing a lot of “lunar geography training” with the crew. “They have study sessions and quizzes, and they do that are assigned to them. You know, even if you are an astronaut, you still get homework,” she quipped.
Artemis II marks the pinnacle of the golden age of innovation, as Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said. Artemis II, Glaze reflected, is a key test flight in our effort to return humans to the Moon’s surface and build toward future missions to Mars via various rovers. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to inspire people across the globe by connecting and involving them in deep space exploration missions like this one.
This is not the first mission, however, where earthlings are sending their names into deep space. Millions of names have been dispatched to Mars aboard fingernail-sized silicon chips, microchips, vault plates, and gold discs, all of which are probably lumbering beneath the winds swirling above the red soils. If you too want to add your name to the elusive music of the Moon, claim your spot by signing up on the official Artemis II website before January 21. As proof of your registration, NASA will generate a downloadable boarding pass for you.
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