*As I watched the April 1st launch of Artemis II, just hearing the narration of all the different departments of the NASA operation checking in and giving their verbal thumbs up, leading up to the final 10-second countdown, gave me chills. When the mighty rocket slowly lifted off from the launchpad, my chills turned into watery eyes.
I’ve always been fascinated by space travel. Think about it: most humans leave the planet through death. Today, one of humanity’s greatest achievements is our ability, thanks to technology, to leave here and come back, God willing, in one piece.
I was a child, but I remember the big event in 1962 when astronaut John Glenn became the third American in space and the first to orbit Earth, circling it three times.
In 1969, when I was 14, I stayed up all night watching astronaut Neil Armstrong, a flight fanatic who, when he was 15, had his pilot’s license before he had a driver’s license, plant the American flag on the moon and declare those iconic words: “This is one small step for [a] man, one giant step for mankind.”
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I personally benefited, too, Mr. Armstrong. As a grade school student who wasn’t crazy about being in class, I was overjoyed when, during the American space missions, teachers let us watch the nonstop TV coverage instead of doing classwork.
The Artemis II mission sent humans farther from Earth than ever before, showcasing America’s technological progress.
The grub aboard the ship also improved. The day has come and gone for Tang, the powdered, just-add-water citrus drink created by General Foods in 1957, which became famous for its association with NASA after astronaut John Glenn took it on his space mission. The Artemis II menu included Barbecued Beef Brisket, Wheat Flatbread, Vegetable Quiche, Broccoli au Gratin, Breakfast Sausage, Mac & Cheese, Tropical Fruit Salad, Tortillas, five different hot sauces, pudding, cobbler, cake, cookies, teas, coffee, and eight different smoothies and assorted fruit drinks, among other goodies. Peanut-serving airlines, take note.
Even if I could qualify to be an astronaut, the restroom situation would stop me. I just couldn’t bring myself to do the number two so close to my crew members. God forbid I’m the one to clog the toilet. And wouldn’t you know it—before they even left Earth’s orbit, Artemis II reported issues with the toilet. See? No.
I’d better serve the mission on the ground. NASA played “wake-up” music to the crew in the mornings. I’d have loved to be the DJ. Parliament’s “Mothership Connection” would be at the top of my list. Of course, other songs come to mind—Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” Lou Rawls’ rendition of “Down Here on The Ground,” Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to the Moon,” The Police’s “Walking on The Moon,” among others.
I was proud to learn Artemis II had a Black Pilot. Victor Glover, 49, punched a big ol’ Black Hole in that absurd fallacy about people of color and DEI hirings.
For some reason, it’s been years since I’ve noticed anyone chewing gum. While an Artemis II team member gave a live interview from space, Glover looked on, chewing gum. Brotherman was putting a hurtin’ on that gum “Smitty” style.
There was a reason I went weepy when the Artemis II began its ascent: I realized, for the first time in years, I was seeing a live, nationally televised news event that wasn’t glazed over with unmitigated hate, corruption, and incompetence. This was the complete opposite—an exhibition of humankind’s ingenuity, know-how, dignity, nobility, and the result of its striving for excellence.
None of this was lost on a Black woman named Carla, who, after traveling with her family from Charleston, South Carolina, to camp near the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to watch the launch, understood its significance.
When asked by a CNN reporter about the mood of the crowd, the lady said, “Everyone has been polite, they’ve been speaking. We’re all here to see the same thing, which is that the rocket goes up and orbits the moon. No animosity, no division. It’s just like it used to be.”
Imagine that: It took the spectacle of people leaving the planet to remind us of how things used to be here down on Earth.
Steven Ivory, veteran journalist, essayist, and author, writes and discusses popular culture across various platforms, including the Internet, TV, radio, documentaries, magazines, and newspapers. The Last Man on AOL is at [email protected]
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MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: African American (Victor Glover) Among Four Astronauts Chosen for First Crewed Moon Mission in 50 Years | WATCH
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