Apollo - Artemis II and the Joy of Earth

Since Artemis II was launched, several more-senior people in the media have been interviewed, with their reflections on certain lunar events in 1969 with the Apollo programme.

 

I too remember being woken up, taking several giant steps down the stairs and huddling around the black & white TV set in the early hours. I'm so glad I did that.

 

Thanks mum and dad. X

 

Following the livestream from Artemis, it's brilliant to see Christina Koch and Victor Glover onboard too.

 

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art002e008487 (April 4, 2026) - NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. Image Credit: NASA

"I have not complained about the weather one single time. I'm glad there is weather. I've not complained about traffic. I'm glad there are people around. One of the things that I did when I got home - I went down to shopping centers, and I'd just go around there, get an ice cream cone or something, just watch the people go by, and think: "Boy, we're lucky to be here. Why do people complain about the Earth? We are living in the garden of Eden."                     Alan Bean. Apollo 12

Image: NASA

Text: https://www.livingspace.earth/home/2018/5/remembering-alan-bean
 

Previously: 'Apollo' : 'exploration' : 'moon' 

Space for Medicine - ISS

NASA - International Space Station

Space Medicine

International Space Station Update: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026

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ETHICS CONFIDENTIALITY CONFIDENCE   'COMMS'    MENTAL HEALTH   BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH & PERFOIRMANCE   PRIVATE PSYCHOLOGICAL COMMUNICATION    CIRCADIAN HEALTH PERSON-CENTRED HEALTH/DISABILITY	INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION  distance - remoteness EARTH orbit  LAUNCHES - RE-ENTRY WINDOWS   TRAINING MEDICAL EMERGENCY in SPACE HEALTH - EMERGENCY CONSTRAINTS - CONTIGENCIES PLANNING - TIME - PROBABILITY 'MONTE CARLO' MODELS/SIMULATIONS DIAGNOSIS: INJURY, RADIATION, MUSCULOSKELETAL, NEUROLOGICAL, VISION, microGRAVITY
CREWS WELFARE - PRIORITY  SOCIAL - WELL-BEING	NASA POLICY - PREPAREDNESS MEDIA RELATIONS

NASA Spaceflight Human System Standard Volume 1: 
Crew Health

'NASA-STD-3001 Volume 1 covers the requirements needed to support astronaut health and provide medical care while Volume 2 covers human-related vehicle system design and operations requirements that will maintain astronaut safety and promote performance.'

Additional reading:
Farrell, R.M., Fogarty, J.A., Covington, M. et al. A moonshot for female astronaut health, a win for all astronauts and space exploration. npj Microgravity 11, 38 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00495-8

 

Marshall Porterfield, D., Tulodziecki, D., Wheeler, R. et al. Critical investments in bioregenerative life support systems for bioastronautics and sustainable lunar exploration. npj Microgravity 11, 57 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41526-025-00518-4

  

Rizzo, A., Borra, E.M., Ciciani, L. et al. Foundations of radiological protection in space: the integrated multidisciplinary approach for next manned missions in deep space. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 138, 1001 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04572-3

The National Space Institute -  
https://nss.org/the-national-space-institute/

During the 1990s I was a member of the 
Space Nursing Society -
https://nss.org/space-nursing-society-chapter/ 

London Institute of Space Policy and Law - 
https://www.space-institute.org

 

See also: 'NASA' : 'astronautics'

 

A Voyage in Cosmic Health ... loneliness

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[2] 'Most pressingly, Voyager 1 has severe memory loss It stopped speaking clearly on November 14. All they received at JPL was a carrier signal. This was described to me in many ways: flatlining, an interstellar dial tone, useless ones and zeros, gibberish, no data. Imagine your friend is on a long journey and sends you a detailed letter every day, then, one day, empty envelopes start arriving. What happened to your friend? How do you help?' p.21.

[1] 'VOYAGER 1 SUFFERS MANY AILMENTS OF AGE. It has arthritis. During its planetary encounters, the team excitedly swung the camera and other instruments this way and that; this squeezed the lubricant out of the bearings of its articulated platform. Only painstakingly slow movements could loosen its joints. It also has heart disease, as Todd Barber, its propulsion engineer, explained. The arteries that deliver its propellant, which keeps it perfectly pointed at Earth, are partially clogged. Barber calls himself a space plumber and wore a shirt with flying saucers on it as we spoke in the Voyager office. He had considered all the usual cardiological remedies.  Diet: unfortunately, Voyager eats only the propellant hydrazine, total junk food.  Exercise: they haven't thought of a way to fire the thrusters to clear the blockage.  Medication: so they've relaxed its alignment a bit and fire its thrusters less often; in other words, Voyager is on beta blockers.' p.21.

My source - with thanks - brilliant writing! 

Roeder O. TERMINATION SHOCK. Last Days of a Lonely Interstellar Spacecraft. FT Magazine, August 3/4 2024. pp.18-27. https://www.ft.com/content/0f2dce04-ec78-4aeb-808c-cff5b5135699

https://www.ft.com/content/90b6aaaa-b192-48d9-bd43-e6f41978ad1c

'Earthrise' c/o Bill Anders RIP

Earthrise in 4K

"In December of 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first people to leave our home planet and travel to another body in space. But as crew members Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders all later recalled, the most important thing they discovered was Earth." 

See also:

Earthrise: The Story of the Photo that Changed the World | Short Film Showcase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsShNeDvccc

Thank you Bill and all the Apollo team and subsequent space faring families across the Home planet.

P.S. I'll leave it to you to relate the significance of Apollo 8's 'Earthrise' to Hodges' model.

'Space' - 'travel' and aftercare

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'Of Course I Still Love You' "Aftercare"	5 4 3 2 1 0 . MAX Q .. 1st STAGE (MECO) ... 2nd STAGE   (SECO) .... 1st STAGE ENTRY BURN .....
Governments must know there are many spaces to understand and assure  that human rights are upheld for all.	Congratulations USA!

Psyche: Amid the Mind and Stars

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"The Greek origin of the word psyche (breath) is well known but psyche also referred to life as action or as soul, some special force or spirit which entered living creatures. ... It was natural that when psychology and and medical psychology became established with institutions, they would wish for armorial bearings and it was logical that some representation of psyche should be incorporated. ... Some psychiatrists would consider mind to be an epiphenomenon of brain function, many of whose mysteries will eventually yield to scientific and clinical investigation and most would consider the emergent subjective experiences as important in determining behaviour. The current motto "Let Wisdom Guide" is certainly suitable whatever interpretation or meaning is given to Psyche and whatever direction psychiatry may take in the future." p.429,431. James, F.E. (July 1991). "Psyche". Psychiatric Bulletin. 15 (7): 429–31. doi:10.1192/pb.15.7.429

Artist's concept of the asteroid 16 Psyche which is thought to be a stripped planetary core. Image credit: Maxar/ASU/P. Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech

Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss  Antonio CANOVA (1757 – 1822) Marble - H. 1.55 m; L. 1.68 m; D. 1.01 mMR 1777 Paris, Musée du Louvre © 2010 Musée du Louvre / Raphaël Chipault

Political mythology: Government pronouncements on psyche?

Libration before Liberation

Last week I visited "The Moon" exhibition at The National Maritime Museum Greenwich. As I videoed the phases of the moon that was on display I recalled how we actually see more than the 50% that is the near-side of the Moon.

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Sometimes more (knowledge)  is revealed than first  appears ... Attend to the 'libration of ideas'. Reflect first ...
Imagine if we shared a generic means to share ideas and concepts...?	... then Liberate.

The Farthest - run

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In 1976 a lower sixth student new to the grammar school competes in the annual cross country. The previous victor had won every year. Listening to his friends, another win was a given. Not in 1976. The new student never won at Secondary School, but he was on the team. Out most dinner times, training from Ashton around Garswood. The day after, the  form teacher said something in the vein of  -"Oh there'll be  presentations!" The student listened and still listens. There never was a presentation, not a whisper; but the journey, the run - continues... and the student is grateful for that ...

Hidden Figures

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	FIGURES
	HIDDEN

See also:
Sobel, D. (2017). The Glass Universe, The Hidden History of the Women Who Took the Measure of the Stars, Fourth Estate,

Image: © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Triplanetary HOME ?

I didn't make it HOME to PLANETARY last evening. I hope it will be shown again.

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HOME?	Home?
home?

Ack: Triplanetary