For the longest time, Siana Grams didn’t have much interest in space, she said. But when Artemis II launched last Wednesday, her interest in lunar exploration peaked.
The sophomore, who remains undecided on her major, said she was disappointed to see that that the mission was not going further.
“I’m kind of sad [that] we won’t be landing on the moon, but I think it’s really cool that we’re going back into space,” Grams said.
NASA’s Artemis II mission launched April 1 with four astronauts aboard the spacecraft, called the Orion. The team includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen.
This mission comes as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the lunar surface to . The program also serves as a step toward future missions to Mars, according to NASA.
The mission was designed as a test flight to evaluate the effectiveness of critical systems — including life support, navigation and communication — with astronauts onboard in deep space.
Fifty-three years after Apollo 17 took a man to the moon, this launch also marked a shift from the Apollo-era approach to lunar exploration. Rather than short-term visits, NASA said Artemis was focused on building the capability for repeated long-term missions.
That included international partnerships — NASA said it was working with agencies such as the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency as part of the program.
Plans also involve the Lunar Gateway, a space station intended to orbit the moon. NASA said the Gateway would act as a staging point for astronauts traveling to and from the surface of the moon.
NASA also said future Artemis missions are expected to focus on the moon’s south pole, which scientists believe may contain water in the form of ice that could be used to support longer-term human exploration.
The next Artemis mission, Artemis III, is set to launch mid-2027 and will focus on docking capabilities with landers, which will be provided by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Artemis IV, expected to launch in 2028, is set to be the first moon landing since 1972.
Anna Fregene, a senior majoring in journalism, said that one of the most exciting parts of the mission has been getting to see messages from the astronauts.
“It’s cool that we’re going again and seeing their interviews [from] space,” Fregene said.
She also said that she’s been interested by the astronaut’s approach to marketing, such as a recent post shared by NASA captioned, “GRWM (get ready with moon)”.
“I feel like [NASA is] trying to get Gen Z’s attention. They know how to now — they can’t just throw out jargon anymore,” Fregene said. “So using our lingo is the smart way.”
Vanesa Villanueva, a freshman majoring in cinema media studies, said she didn’t know that the launch was happening, but was excited when she heard about it through Annenberg Media.
She said she was particularly interested in the new photos of the moon, which revealed a side to the rock that had never previously been seen by humans.
“I think anything new is honestly really interesting,” Villanueva said. “That’s the point — furthering science to get new information. So I don’t think it’s a waste.”
Grams said one of the most moving parts of the mission for her was the personal connection she saw the astronauts make with outer space, which she described as “really sweet.”
In a video that has since spread across social media, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen reached out to mission control with the request from space.
“It’s a bright spot on the moon,” he said. “And we would like to call it Carroll.”
Carroll Wiseman was the late wife of Mission Commander Reid Wiseman. The 46 year old nurse died from cancer in 2020.
The Artemis II mission is expected to return to Earth Friday.