Tension and elation at NASA’s heart of science operations, writes Alexandra Witze as she witnesses the situation developing in the center just hours before the Artemis II moon fly-by. Just hours prior to the fly-by – a nearly seven-hour period where the astronauts would transit around the moon – had the deputy lunar-science lead poll them on “go” or “no-go”. Through the fly-by, spectacular imagery was witnessed, recorded, and communicated with those back at NASA. From them recounting the lunar impacts that had been seen from micro-meteorites impacting the moon surface, to seeing splotches of color rather than the barren, uniform gray as commonly associated with the lunar regolith, the experience was eye-opening for more than just the astronauts. Recall Witze’s experience and other Artemis II events with her writing on the matter.
Photo: NASA via Wikimedia Commons
