In celebration of Earth Day, which occurred around a week ago on April 22nd, I wanted to write this article, if only for myself, as a reminder of how unique yet minuscule our existence is.
On April 1st, 2026, Artemis II launched and sent four astronauts—Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, and Victor Glover—to orbit the moon (“Artemis II”). While I wasn’t initially keeping up-to-date with the mission, I came across one of Hank Green’s videos on YouTube, “Explaining the Most Important Artemis II Photos,” and decided to watch it. The combination of social and scientific commentary captured my attention, and what follows is how that video–and the mission as a whole–has added to my understanding of life.
The photos we have received from them have not only been informative, but also grounding. Green started the video by referring back to Earthrise, a photo taken on Apollo 8 by Bill Anders (see “Apollo 8: Earthrise”). It was an unscheduled photo, but when the astronauts saw Earth from behind the moon, they knew it would be wrong not to take the photo. I agree with Green’s assessment that it is an important photo, not only because it is aesthetically captivating but because that view was the culmination of centuries of collaboration and innovation. The Space Race, however politically divisive, gave scientists the means to make technological breakthroughs and send humans past Earth’s atmosphere—more than 300,000 miles away. I recall the first time I heard the phrase “we are standing on the shoulders of giants” in a science lesson I took in middle school taught by Mr. Howk, and I believe that phrase is very applicable right now (see “Standing on the Shoulders”). Not only does society build itself up intellectually over time, but society also stands on the backs of a literal giant, our Earth. And the event of the astronauts looking back to Earth on the spacecraft created through years of technological innovation is almost an extension of that metaphor. The astronauts were both looking back at the intellectual giant that made the trip possible as well as the physical giant that we call home.
I recommend you watch the video, as Green provides riveting insight into the photos taken from Artemis II. As I watched the video, I became more conscious of how minuscule our existence is. It’s fascinating to think that all of history up to now has been possible because this one planet happened to exist in this solar system that happened to have the conditions just right for life to appear. I was listening to a part of the astronaut’s first speeches after landing on Earth, and I heard one phrase that struck me. Christina Koch ended her speech with “Planet Earth, you are a crew” (CBS News). Listening to that, and watching Hank Green’s video, I knew that Artemis II’s mission was more than just getting to the moon again; it was about reminding everyone that we are in this together, that our lives are like roots, intertwined and undoubtedly in existence for the purpose of sustaining the tree that is our “giant” (see “Standing on the Shoulders”).
Although the conclusions I’ve reached are personal, I hope that my conviction encourages others to learn about Artemis II and develop their own opinions.
Works Cited:
“Apollo 8: Earthrise.” NASA, NASA, www.nasa.gov/image-article/apollo-8-earthrise/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
“Artemis II.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Apr. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_II.
CBS News. “ Artemis II Crew Speaks Publicly for First Time since Successful Moon Mission | Full Video.” YouTube, YouTube, 11 Apr. 2026, www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2Jb82rnp0.
Green, Hank. “Explaining the Most Important Artemis II Photos.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 Apr. 2026, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaXRREHVkHo.
“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Jan. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_on_the_shoulders_of_giants.
