Moon Joy: Looking Up With Wonder

Our youngest daughter has long been enamoured with the moon. There have been countless nights where a last-minute request before bed has involved a trip outside to say “goodnight moon”. A moon sighting during the day elicits its own special squeal of delight. Each moon observation is loudly declared and ultimately shared with the closest family member. 

Over the recent school holidays, we followed the Artemis II mission around the moon with great interest. People from all over the world became caught up in the joint thrill of the mission. “Moon joy” quickly became a catch phrase by NASA during the mission after Science Officer Angela Garcia responded, “I copy your Moon joy”, regarding the excited astronaut comments as they spotted prominent features on the moon. This was then shortened to “Copy, Moon joy” (NASA, 2026), three words that became a unifying motto, capturing the excitement experienced by spectators watching from afar.

The images returned to earth from Integrity are incredible, but what made the journey so fascinating for me were the four astronauts on board: Commander Reid Wisman, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Throughout the mission, their positivity, collaboration and humanity reminded those of us here on earth that we share more in common than what divides us. 

“...When I read the Bible and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us who were created… 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.” (Victor Glover, 4 April 2026) 

For generations, the heavens have been looked upon with wonder and joy. Advancements in technology have given us the opportunity to view our universe in ways never seen before. The images of Earth setting behind the moon captured by the astronauts aboard Artemis II felt especially profound. 

There is joy in appreciating that amid the vastness and incredible mystery of space, there sits a diverse and life-supporting Earth, hanging in space as a testament to the Creator's fingerprints. To know that, while comparatively small in the scheme of the universe, our God not only cares for but also longs for a personal relationship with us, what a joyful thing!

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place, what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” Psalms 8:3-4

Mrs Kylie-Ann Martin
Primary Teacher Librarian

Image Credit: NASA, 6 April 2026