Artemis II pilot Victor Glover Jr. has officially set the record for the furthest any Black man has traveled from Earth. Now, he’s delivering a special message for every human on the planet as his crew continues their mission to the moon.
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As we previously told you, the astronaut and three others– Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman– began their mission to the moon on April 1. This means the crew spent this past Easter holiday in space, and while missing their families on Earth, Glover wanted all of humanity to hear one thing.
“I think these observances are important,” Glover began from the spacecraft. “I read the Bible, and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us who were created. You guys are talking to us because we’re in a spaceship really far from Earth, but you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe in the cosmos,” he said.
The crew embarked on an expected 10-day mission to circle the moon, marking the first voyage to the moon since 1972. This mission is historic, with Glover marking a milestone as a Black man in space and Koch setting the record for the furthest distance traveled from Earth by a woman. Glover emphasized that, despite these extraordinary achievements, the real magic is happening back on Earth.
“Maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we’re doing is special, but we’re the same distance from you. And I’m trying to tell you—just trust me—you are special,” Glover added.
Then, the former fighter pilot went deeper. “In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together,” Glover continued, referring to Earth.
Interestingly, Glover’s words are being compared to special remarks from another history-making astronaut. Back in 1968, three Apollo 8 astronauts circled the moon on Christmas Eve. From their spacecraft, mission commander Frank Borman read a special message which reportedly reached 25 percent of humanity. “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth,” he said.
Now, another religious holiday is on the minds of the Artemis II crew. “I think, as we go into Easter Sunday, thinking about all the cultures all around the world– whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not– this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing, and that we’ve gotta get through this together,” the pilot added.
Folks online felt the gravity of Glover’s message. “Honestly, moments like that really make you pause and reflect. Indeed, they are a perfect crew, grounded, thoughtful, and exactly what the moment calls for,” @CamillaShaheer shared on X.
Black users on social media saw praised Glover not only for his words but also for his commitment to humanity. “There is not one sound that emits from this man that the entire world should not stop & listen to,” @TheBlackHoff tweeted. “This is a KING speaking! A king of mankind. My new hero!”
Given all the craziest events happening around the world– from war in Iran to growing concerns over artificial intelligence– many folks like @MsMelChen found Glover’s words comforting. “Strange times we live in. Pretty cool to see the light of Christ from a rocket bound for lunar orbit,” she wrote.
The Artemis crew has shared many emotional moments since leaving Earth’s atmosphere. On Monday (April 6), they spotted a crater on the moon’s surfaced. They have since named the bright spot Carroll, after Commander Wiseman’s late wife who died after a battle with cancer.
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