Artemis, Apollo, & NASA by Diane Burton

I've been seeing more references to the Artemis mission in the NASA newsletters and news releases. If you remember your high school Greek mythology or, better yet, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and Trials of Apollo series, you know that Artemis was Apollo's twin sister. In one version, Apollo rides his chariot (the sun) across the sky during the day, and Artemis rides hers (the moon) during the night. Artemis is also the goddess of the hunt. By the way, in Roman mythology her name is Diana.

The connection between NASA's Apollo missions--getting a man to the moon--and the Artemis mission, putting a woman on the moon, makes a lot of sense.

A little over a year ago, I wrote about the Artemis Program. As we get closer to the launch in 2024, we'll probably be reading and hearing more about this mission. Here's the identity for Artemis.

Earth blue, red rocket, and silver moon. The Artemis missions will explore the moon more thoroughly than before and pave the way to Mars. (Take a look at the red blob beyond the moon. Could that be Mars?) If you want to know more about the program, check out this link.

If you've read my past posts, you know I'm enthralled with space exploration. During the 1960s and 1970s, I avidly watched the missile launches on TV. Now, I can't wait to watch a new launch to the moon and beyond. Okay, smaller steps. From the moon to Mars . . . and then beyond. Can you tell I'm excited?

I write science fiction because I believe we will explore what is beyond our planet. It's our new frontier. It's our nature to explore the unknown. 

To quote Buzz Lightyear, "To Infinity and Beyond."

Girls Can Do Anything by Diane Burton

Did you know that three out of four science divisions at NASA are headed by women? For the first time in NASA’s history! Is this amazing or what? Earth Science division, Heliophysics division, and Planetary Science division have female directors. Wonderful role models for today’s girls and young women. Here’s a link to learn more about these women:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/meet-the-women-in-charge-of-nasa-s-science-divisions

Two years ago, my local book group chose to read Hidden Figures, the book on which the movie of the same name was based. I found the book boring. Too many dry facts. The movie, on the other hand, held my interest from the beginning to the end. Whether you preferred the book or the movie, the representation of the women who helped put Americans in space is a fantastic story. All through the movie, I kept wondering why we hadn't heard of these women before.

My granddaughter loves to dance. In many ways, she’s a girly-girl. Yet, through Girl Scouts, she’s encouraged to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines. And because I want her to she has many options, I’ve gotten her LEGO sets featuring females, like Women of NASA . . . along with ballerina ornaments at Christmas. Whether she chooses to become a dancer or an engineer, she knows she has options.

When I was in high school, a girl was supposed to get married and have children. As a just-in-case she didn’t find a husband to support her, a girl could be a teacher, a nurse, a secretary, and a telephone operator. Limited options. I emphasized to my daughter and the girls in our Girl Scout troop, that girls can do anything. They aren’t limited by what society deemed “women’s roles.”

Now, we’re reading and hearing about women who broke through barriers and made their mark on history. What will happen now that today’s girls have leaders to look up to and follow? Maybe they’ll figure out how to put a woman on the moon. Or Mars. 

To paraphrase Buzz Lightyear, girls can go “to infinity and beyond.”