Day 4: [Re]Launch

Tonight, our family gathered around the television and watched the launch of Artemis II, a historic return to space as four astronauts began their 10-day journey to the moon (and beyond) and back to earth.

It was a nostalgic moment for me when our own family gathered around the television in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s to watch the liftoffs and landings of the Apollo missions. I can still hear Walter Cronkite’s slow, rough voice giving us the play by play.

While our television back then was a mere 19-inch screen (color, though, so that was a bonus), everything else was the same. We held our collective breaths as the countdown reached zero, then watched in awe as that mighty ship sailed into the sky, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.

I had trepidations watching this launch, thinking back to that day in January 40 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger (with teacher Christa McAuliffe on board) exploded against the brilliant azure sky 73 seconds into its flight. It changed the trajectory of my life, and it made me be the teacher I am today.

After the launch, Gideon took to his art journal and captured the liftoff with a beautiful rendering of Artemis II (I would share it with you here, but he asked us to respect his boundaries, so I want you to imagine a beautiful rocket illustrated by a 7 year old heading toward the moon).

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the first woman to lead a mission for NASA, was a child just like Gideon when she saw her first launch. It was at that moment she decided that working for NASA was her one and only goal in life.

Just before resuming the countdown from 10 minutes to launch, Blackwell-Thompson shared these words:

“On this historic mission, you take with you the heart of this Artemis team, the daring spirit of the American people and our partners across the globe, and the hopes and dreams of a new generation.”

I’m glad Gideon got the chance to hear that.

Witnessing such an event has a powerful effect on us, and it was important to us that Gideon have that experience. Only time will tell if today’s launch will resonate with him in some meaningful way.

And to be honest, if being together as a family to witness the launch is the big takeaway, then that alone makes me over-the-moon happy.