Victor Glover, serving as NASA astronaut and pilot for the Artemis II mission, conveyed messages from the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus Christ just before communication was lost with Earth as the crew ventured to the Moon’s far side.
As he, along with fellow astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen, approached the Moon’s closest point and Earth’s farthest, Glover felt the moment was opportune to reflect on one of Earth’s profound mysteries: love.
He recounted how Jesus emphasized that the “greatest command” is to “love God with all that you are,” and highlighted the next commandment, which calls for loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
The biblical passage Matthew 22:36-40 recounts Jesus declaring the foremost commandment as loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, while the second is akin: loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
“As we embark on this journey, our NASA mission aims to explore the unknown realms of air and space, fostering innovation for humanity’s benefit and inspiring the world with discovery. As you accompany us on this adventure, we hope to fulfill these goals,” Glover expressed. “And as we draw near to the Moon’s closest point and Earth’s remotest, continuing to unravel the cosmos’ secrets, I want to remind you of one of Earth’s most profound mysteries—love.”
Glover elaborated, “Christ, when asked about the greatest command, responded that it is to love God with all that you are. He also taught, being a remarkable teacher, that the second command is equally important: to love your neighbor as yourself.”
Glover added that as the team was preparing “to go out of radio communication,” they were still feeling people’s “love from Earth.”
“To all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you from the Moon,” Glover added.
In a post on X, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Jared Isaacman shared how the Artemis II mission had “reached its maximum distance from Earth” and added that the astronauts would “now begin their journey home.”
“Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth,” Isaacman wrote. “On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home.”
“Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world,” Isaacman continued.
