During the historic Artemis II moon mission, pilot Victor Glover reflects on Earth's beauty and humanity's shared future, urging unity in the face of cosmic vastness.



An astronaut aboard NASA’s historic Artemis II moon mission on Saturday reflected on the beauty of creation and humanity’s shared bond, invoking Scripture as he said people from every culture and walk of life have “got to get through this together.”

Victor Glover is the pilot aboard Artemis II, which was scheduled Monday to carry humans closer to the moon than at any time in more than five decades and to set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. The mission was slated to circle the moon and return home as part of a broader effort setting the stage for future missions that will land astronauts on the lunar surface. NASA last sent humans to the moon in 1972.

Glover, a Christian, was asked during a news conference Saturday while en route to the moon to share his thoughts on Easter from space.

“I think these observances are important. And as we are so far from Earth and looking at the beauty of creation – I think that for me, one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see Earth as one thing,” Glover said, referencing his ability to peek out a window aboard the capsule and gaze upon the planet he calls home. “And 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.”

Glover then built on the idea, emphasizing humanity’s shared place in the universe – and the need to find a way to live together in peace.

“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,” Glover added. “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.”

The mission is similar to Apollo 8 (1968) and Apollo 10 (1969), which also circled the moon and helped pave the way for the historic Apollo 11 mission that carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the lunar surface.

In 2022, Glover spoke at Abell Street Church of Christ in Wharton, Texas, where he reflected on what it meant to follow Christ even while serving in space. Jesus, he said in 2022, is the solution to man’s problems.

“We have a sin nature, and we need Jesus,” he said. “Jesus is that bridge that spans sin and gives us a chance of going to heaven.”

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