TIMES OF TROUBLE, TIMES OF HOPE

The successful Artemis moon venture, after so many dormant decades, brings back memories of the very first flight around the moon by Borman, Lovell, and Anders aboard Apollo 8. I remember being glued to the TV around the clock as continuous coverage brought us what was probably the most seminal moment in space flight. Witnessing it was an unforgettable, thrilling experience. 

It was the very first human flight beyond earth orbit. It was the first manned Saturn 5 launch. They were the first humans to see the dark side of the moon, and the first live television broadcast from above the moon. It proved the feasibility of lunar travel and set the stage for Apollo 11 landing on the surface half a year later. 

It all happened towards the end of 1968, the worst year in our modern history. It was a time of continuous strife and division; worse than that in our own time, which in many ways originated back then. It was a marvelous, inspirational coda to that terrible year. They witnessed something no other human had ever seen before- the earth rising in the distance over the surface of the moon (the picture above was taken at the time). After orbiting the moon, on Christmas Eve Commander Frank Borman, and then the other crew members began reading from the Book of Genesis during a live broadcast to the whole world. It was one of the most powerful moments in human history. They triumphantly returned to earth a few days later, having completed a flawless mission.

It was a year of enthusiastically watching 2001:A Space Odyssey in a Cinerama theater presentation, and the first Star Trek episodes on TV. It seemed as though the Space Age had truly arrived. But sadly, by the early 1970s the last moon missions were completed and things tapered off. One of the biggest disappointments in my lifetime was the passage of more than fifty years before anyone again ventured to the moon. 

But now at last we have the successful mission of Artemis II to once again inspire us, and this time it will not stop, as we embark on a new age of human space exploration and settlement. Once again in troubled times there is reason for hope as the momentum increases and a space-faring future lies before us.