Why We Fly

Artemis isn't the culmination of anything—it's meant to be just the start of the exploration of the wider cosmos. But, Koch said, no matter where humans go, home is still home. We will explore, Koch said. We will build. We will build ships. We will visit again. We will construct science outposts. We will drive rovers. We will do radio astronomy. We will found companies. We will bolster industry. We will inspire. But ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other. The other time I must have gotten some space dust in my eye was a quieter, more personal moment. The astronauts were observing the lunar surface, and identified a pair of unnamed craters, possibly unseen before by human eyes, residing as they do in the borderlands between the near and far sides of the Moon. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen on the mic relayed to Houston a request from the entire crew, that the craters be named Integrity, for their crew vehicle, and Carroll, for Commander Reid Wiseman's wife, who died of cancer in 2020. I do urge you to watch the video, to hear Hansen's voice cracking with emotion and to see the crew embrace Wiseman.