Slumber Soft Moon Blanket

Moon oversees the football field
October 2015

The astronauts on the Integrity spacecraft are full of wisdom.  More than once they have recognized the fragility of Earth and of human life.  I feel gratitude for the technology that makes it possible for us to see a fraction of what they have seen, and to hear their thoughts as they pilot past the moon.  There have been several mentions of joy.  And togetherness.  And common purpose.

My understanding is that this type of spacecraft is named “Orion” and this particular spacecraft is named “Integrity”. And “Artemis II” is the name of the entire mission.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  

I need there to be some integrity in the universe.

By far the most stunning and emotional photo of the mission is this one.

Saturday April 4th.

CBS News journalist asks:  Do you have a message you'd like to share from space about Easter Sunday?

Astronaut Victor Glover: “You know, I don't have anything prepared. I'm glad you brought that up, though. I think these observances are important, as we are so far from earth and looking back at the beauty of creation. And I think for me one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see earth as one thing. And, you know, when I read the Bible and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us who were created, you have this amazing place –  this spaceship – 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. I think 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.  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. 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 got to get through this together." 

Imagine that!  Victor Glover is one of only four humans making this extraordinary trip, further than any humans have traveled from our home planet, and he turns it around and says we earthbound humans are special.  

Wednesday April 8th

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen:  “The perspective I launched with was that we live on a fragile planet in the vacuum, in the void of space. We know this from science. We're very fortunate to live on planet Earth. And the other perspective that I've sort of learned from others through life is that our purpose on the planet as humans is to find joy, to find the joy, and lifting each other up, by creating solutions together instead of destroying, and when you see it from out here, it doesn't change it. It just absolutely reaffirms that. It's almost like seeing living proof of it.”

WE KNOW THIS FROM SCIENCE.  That was my awed thought when I saw the solar eclipse on Apr 8, 2024.  The scientists predicted this and it happened exactly as they said it would.  And we were all strangers together experiencing it.  Many types of scientists have worked so that all of us on Earth, strangers together, can see and hear these astronauts.

Cleveland, Ohio, April 8, 2024
pano, before the moment of totality.
Common Household family members at left

Cleveland, Ohio at the moment of totality.
Happened just like science said it would.

The Wall Street Journal reporter asked: How has this trip contributed to the broader Artemis program?

Astronaut Christina Koch:   “... part of our ethos as a crew and our values from the very beginning were that this is a relay race. In fact, we have batons that we bought to symbolize physically that we plan to hand them to the next crew, and every single thing that we do is with them in mind. …. We're always thinking from the perspective as:  what is the next crew going to think about this, how will this help them to succeed?  So, manual piloting the vehicle, making sure that the procedures and the processes for making everything work are all as they should be. Then there's the human side of it. How are our provisions? How are our food? How is the human system working in here?   ….. So both in the vehicle and all in the last three years, we've really just worked to make sure that they are set up for success. And that's all of the teams, not just the crew, but the flight control teams, the mission engineering rooms, the launch teams, everyone. …”

A journalist asked what it felt like for the 40 minutes when the spacecraft had no communication with earth.  On the far side of the moon.  

Astronaut Reid Wiseman: “... It is amazing to watch your home planet disappear behind the moon.   You could see the atmosphere. You could actually see the terrain in the moon projected across the earth as the earth was eclipsing behind the moon. It was really just an unbelievable sight and then it was gone. It was out of sight and we took a moment here. We had a lot of scientific work to do right there. That was probably the most critical lunar observation for our geology team. But the four of us took a moment. We shared maple cookies that Jeremy had brought and we took about three or four minutes just as a crew to really reflect on where we were and then it was right back into the science.”

Maple cookies on the far side of the moon!

I hope I will always remember the immense privilege I had, on April 8, 2024, to witness with my whole being the total eclipse of the sun, in Cleveland, Ohio.  Now I have seen, via the cameras on Integrity, a total solar eclipse FROM THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON.  And Youngest Daughter pointed out that I have been alive for two moon missions – Apollo in 1969-1972.  

Thank you, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and  Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canadian), for bringing to us the sheer beauty of our Earth and our Moon, and the incomprehensibleness of space. 

I end with two poems by Older Daughter, written when she was around 4 to 6 years old.  

Slumber soft moon blanket

By Older Daughter

Slumber soft moon blanket!

Slumber soft moon blanket.

If I were to catch you

I would sing you my song.

Music is your night.

When I will hold you,

You will be my slumber.

Slumber soft moon blanket!

Slumber soft moon blanket.

The moon is a spy

By Older Daughter

The moon is a spy

With only one eye.

She peeks down at the world

To make sure it’s asleep

Then she dances around like a ballerina.

All night long

The moon sings a song.

When it’s time for the morning,

The sun says, “My turn!”

The spacecraft Integrity has brought us the comfort of our soft moon blanket. Our dancing, singing moon.

The Common Household Son, ~age 2,
photoshopped onto the moon.