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Blastoff!
Or something like that, right? Early morning on Wednesday, Nov. 16, Artemis I, took off from the Kennedy Space Shuttle on Merritt Island, Florida. If you are unfamiliar with the project, NASA has been developing Artemis I for the past 50 years. This project is quite the resume builder if you ask me!
The name Artemis comes from Greek origin and means “butcher.” In Greek mythology, Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister. She was, as we might call her today, a nature-loving girl boss to say the least. Not only was she one of the 12 Olympians, but she spent much of her time dancing in the forests (sounds fun, right?), guiding the animals in the woods and preserving the wells and springs that flowed throughout her beloved land, Mount Olympus. She had innate confidence, partly because she was Apollo’s sister, but also because she just believed in herself and her capabilities—something us college girls should especially take note of.
The importance of the name Artemis largely impacts the operational side of the construction and deployment of Artemis I. As you might be able to guess, the Artemis mission will be landing the first woman and first person of color on the moon.
In this economy? Absolutely!
With the help of a determined team, innovative technologies and lots, and I mean lots, of hard work, it was possible! NASA is hoping to use what they learn from this mission to help achieve their next mission—sending the first astronaut to the moon! On this mission, they are seeking to gain more scientific discovery, economic benefits, as well as inspiration for the newest generation of explorers: the Artemis Generation. The Artemis Generation refers to the next generation of women scientists and engineers who are passionate about space exploration.
Not only was this mission named after the beloved Greek goddess and icon, Artemis, the mission is also being led by yet another girl boss named Charlie Blackwell-Thomson. She is NASA’s first female launch director. After working hard for countless years to help develop launch countdown plans and launch procedures and schedules, she has earned her new title. Part of this new title includes the symbolic tradition of cutting her tie after liftoff. It is customary for the launch director to have another manager cut part of her necktie as a celebration of resilience with the entire team. 30% of the new takeoff room is now filled with women—what an accomplishment for these incredible women! They are truly resilient and paving the way for the Artemis Generation.
This iconic, but small gesture of celebration got me thinking. When are you able to take a step back and applaud yourself for the hard work that you have put in? Remember in elementary school, when your teacher would see you doing something good for another person, she would say, “Give yourself a pat on the back.” Those seemingly unimportant moments of taking the time and patting yourself on the back meant more than you give it credit for. As years go by, I think somewhere along the way, we forgot to give ourselves a pat on the back.
Streaming the Artemis I launch takeoff put into perspective how small each person is and made me wonder: What is my place in this world? Next time you pause and gaze up at the pitch black night sky and see the moon glowing and stars twinkling, I hope you take a deep breath and think of Artemis. Cultivating moments such as these throughout our days, weeks and months is imperative to our self-growth. It reminds me so much of the phrase “The journey is the reward.” I’m sure Charlie Thomson felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude as she got her tie cut in front of her colleagues (and the whole world but who’s counting?). Equally, I’m sure she had felt giddy about all the little moments that were leading up to takeoff. All the late nights she spent in the control room. All the interviews. All the long meetings that were a massive success. Each of these moments called for a celebration. It’s imperative that you take time and cultivate spaces where you celebrate your own progress. While at times it is nice to feel validated by others, in the long run, you’ll be glad you took time to celebrate your wins. It can be hard to find your own place in the world if you do not feel seen and heard by yourself first.
Music is yet another tool that aids in cultivating spaces to celebrate your progress. Taylor Swift, a female musical genius, has a song called, “A Place in This World.” This song relates to the idea that each person is on their own path and is in a constant state of “figuring it out.” In the song she sings,
“I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me.
‘Cause I’m still trying to figure it out.
Don’t know what’s down this road, I’m just walking.
Trying to see through the rain coming down.
Even though I’m not the only one who feels the way I do.
I’m alone, on my own, and that’s all I know.
I’ll be strong, I’ll be wrong, oh, but life goes on.
Oh, I’m just a girl, trying to find a place in this world.”
I hope you take time to cultivate moments of celebration. As a young college female student, I find the Artemis I mission to be incredibly inspiring. Kudos to you, Charlie, for being an incredible role model for the Artemis Generation! I often think that society has been conditioned to believe celebrating only the big moments in life is right—graduation, engagements, landing a dream job, weddings, promotions, having a child and so forth. Hot take—there are so many miniscule moments in your days that are equally as important. Finding your own place in the world is a lifelong journey. Hint, hint: the journey is the reward. The first step in understanding this is recognizing your own accomplishments. When doing so, you won’t regret waiting on other people to see your value or worth. It’s inherent—celebrating that is enough! Be mindful of the little accomplishments this week moving forward. The takeoff into further exploration of life begins in
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Blastoff!