“Copy, Moon joy,” said Jacki Mahaffey, the Artemis II chief training officer, in reply to astronaut Reid Wiseman’s description of his first close look at the moon. According to NASA, Moon joy is “the feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the Moon.”
Aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft, NASA astronauts Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen successfully blasted off to the stars on April 1, 2026.
Their mission was to conduct a lunar flyby to test how Orion’s systems operate in a deep space environment. This roughly nine-day test flight is NASA’s first crewed Artemis mission, building on the results of the mission’s 2022 predecessor, Artemis I.
On flight day six, the crew made history, traveling more than 248,655 miles from Earth. They surpassed the record for human spaceflight’s farthest distance previously set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970. That same day, the crew were the first ever to see parts of the moon’s far side with human eyes, and witnessed a rare total solar eclipse as the moon passed in front of the sun.
COMPASS junior Hayden Vega, says, “I think that the mission shows us how special we are to just be alive and how the Earth is such a unique and beautiful thing, and how empty or unknown space really is. But, the fact that we’re able to learn more about it… It’s really something amazing, and I hope we get to see more of it.”
During this time, NASA also proposed names for two lunar craters, following the tradition of the Apollo-era astronauts. Their first suggestion was in honor of their spacecraft, Integrity (the name the crew gave the Orion spacecraft), and their second was in honor of Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll.
Similarly, Mr. Lopez, a QUEST physics teacher, comments, “NASA deserves funding, and it’s a good way to disprove a lot of these conspiracy theories that have somehow made their way back into modern circulation. The more information we have from experts that actually know what they’re doing, I think it’s gonna benefit everyone.”
After a safe splash down on April 10, 2026, NASA works to continue “sending astronauts on increasingly difficult missions to explore more of the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build on our foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.”
Sophia Quezada • May 20, 2026 at 10:52 pm
I was personally overjoyed and eagerly followed the live streams and updates concerning this mission, and I appreciated the extended awareness this article brought. In an era dominated by technological advancements, it is worthy to commit part of our attention to the ways in which society is testing the limits of knowledge and exploration. I notably resonated with the included quote from Mr. Lopez and his statement that the coverage of this mission is “a good way to disprove a lot of these conspiracy theories that have somehow made their way back into modern circulation”. In a time I feel is teeming with misinformation and division, it has become remarkable easy to find oneself drawn into polarized virtual communities and the loud, persistent online voices fighting to hold the most attention and influence. I appreciate the article’s aim to spread awareness and information on such a scientific feat I am sure is only the beginning of an incredible new era in which we will go farther in scientific innovation than ever before, and it is my hope that in an era so dominated by advanced technologies, we do not fail to take these leaps and bounds in space exploration for granted. Excellent work!
Nora • May 18, 2026 at 1:43 pm
May 18, 2026
Dear Corydon Editor,
On May 11, 2026, Sofia Aguilar wrote an article titled “Artemis II’s Mission to the Moon”. There has been a lot of misinformation concerning this mission, specifically about its ethics and practicality. However, I like that Aguilar’s article stuck to experts’ facts, while still including the public’s opinion. The crew’s record of traveling 248,655 miles from Earth is an enormous accomplishment for mankind. It showcases how lucky we are to have technology able to travel to this extent and opens opportunities for future generations or missions.
I think that this mission could create a lot of social and scientific progress. One of their main crew members is a woman named Christina Koch, who has taken a bigger role in the mission, repairing the ship. Considering that historically, women have been excluded from fields like astronomy and engineering, I would like to see what impact these discoveries will have on deep space exploration and possibly social progress.
Sincerely,
Nora Schrock
Olivia Wu • May 18, 2026 at 1:25 pm
Aguilar does a good job of explaining the events of the mission and how significant this historical moment is. She uses specific facts from the mission and allows for a clear and easy understanding of the overall expedition. I liked how she hooked her audience with a quote from the astronaut Jackie Mahaffey, which not only attracted the attention of the reader but also provided some context on the topic of the article.
Moreover, one observation I did make was Aguilar’s inclusion of the quote from Hayden Vega, a junior in COMPASS. Although interesting insights, I did feel this quote was unnecessary due to Vega’s lack of credibility and expertise in this field. While it is nice to get a sense of how the community views this mission, when trying to maintain a formal tone, using quotes from those with a more credible background may be more beneficial.
With this being said, I did think the quote from Mr. Lopez, a QUEST physics teacher, was a nice addition to the article. Due to Mr. Lopez’s experience in this field, his words are far more reliable than those of a student. In addition, his perspective does provide nice insights from an expert in the community. Also, Lopez brings in a new idea that touches on how the funding of NASA can challenge the conspiracy theories spread throughout modern-day news and social media.
Noelle Ball • May 18, 2026 at 11:47 am
I thoroughly enjoyed this article as it touches on the artemis mission and its record holding mission. I enjoyed how the article blended facts and quotes from the launch with quotes and opinions from millikan students and teachers. For instance the initial quote by Jacki Mahaffey introduced me to a term i didnt know before called “mon joy”. I feel like this term encompasses the mission very well and I’m sure it was extremely rewarding. I loved how the author included facts about the launch such as information about the background information on the astronauts and mission as well as the data on mileage. Later on, a quote from both a teacher and student helps to explore the opinions of both adolescents and adults around the launch. This helps to support the statements and data presented in the article. I thoroughly enjoyed this article and feel that the author did an amazing job covering this topic.
Samantha Garcia • May 18, 2026 at 11:26 am
I thought this article was really interesting, and I liked all the details and information that Aguilar provided. I especially liked the fact about the moon joy; I think it shows how extraordinary and emotional this mission was. I also enjoyed the detail about Wiseman naming one of the craters after his late wife, Carroll. I thought that was the sweetest thing ever. I think we really need stories like this, especially during these times, to bring up hope and lift hearts. It also inspires us and gives us people to look up to. I also saw a lot of people comparing them to the Fantastic 4. I like to think of them that way, like they are real-life superheroes inspiring others. Because of this, I really appreciate Aguilar for writing such a beautiful story on the topic.
Aubrie Jones • May 18, 2026 at 9:30 am
On May 11, 2026, Sofia Aguilar wrote an article titled “Artemis II’s Mission to the Moon”. In the article, Sofia uses quotes from when the astronauts were on their trip. For example, to begin, she quotes Jacki Mahaffey, Artemis II chief, and says, “Copy, moon joy.” She also explains what “moon joy” is to allow audiences to further understand what it means. The people on the craft were Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch, who started their journey April 1st, 2026. Sofia also said what their mission was and what they are trying to achieve, which they are building off of the results from Artemis I in 2022. Sofia also seems like she knows a lot about the mission and its goal, while noting that they had made history and “surpassed the record for human spaceflight’s farthest distance previously set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.” She also uses student’s and teacher’s perspectives on how they feel about it. Something I liked about the article is that she has so much knowledge about it, and she knows what is happening and overall, it was an amazing article.
Tristan Ith • May 18, 2026 at 9:28 am
This article interested me because I have always been engaged with learning about space. I enjoyed reading about records set by the four astronauts during the mission, Aguilar describing them really well. She informs us about the mission briefly from the start on April 1st, to the end on April 10th. I liked how Aguilar also included other people’s perspectives on NASA and what the Artemis II mission represented for humankind. I especially admire the conclusion to her article, which left a striking thought in my head as she addressed the possible future the Artemis II mission could lead to.
One question I have, however, is how did the astronauts themselves view this mission? What was their experience like and what did they think about the project before they launched? I think it would be interesting to add the perspectives of people in NASA themselves and people who participated in Artemis II. Overall, this article did well in telling the accomplishments Artemis II and the astronauts achieved and possible future it could lead to.
Adrian Torres • May 15, 2026 at 1:57 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
On May 11, 2026, wrote an article titled “Artemis II’s Mission to the Moon”. I thought the creation of this article was very smart, because of how large this current event is. I also like how the information was delivered in an easy-to-follow way that allowed me to learn yet not feel like a chore. I believe the author did an excellent job of keeping a formal and informative tone while keeping things simple. I also think the addition of a student statement was interesting, as it allowed the viewpoint of a student just like me to share our opinions and voice. I also thought having the opinion of the teacher was fascinating as I got to learn about the point of view of an educator, and not just a student. I felt like I learned a lot despite having heard the headlines, as I had not done extensive research on this before reading. I feel like the author’s structure was also well done and very ethical and believable.
Carlee Zabel • May 15, 2026 at 1:56 pm
This article was an amazing read, and gave me a bigger insight into the Artemis II’s mission. Personally, I think space travel is fascinating and I enjoy reading books and watching documentaries about it, so the topic of her article really caught my attention. It is evident that Aguilar was thorough in her research on the topic, as there was ample information and facts that were very intriguing. I especially like the inclusion of the backstory on how the craters were named, and the significance that they hold. I also liked that she included personal quotes from a student and a teacher to shed further light on what the public thought of this historical mission. Her writing style is captivating, and truly keeps the reader wanting more. Throughout the article, she introduces facts and interesting pieces of information in a professional and engaging manner. Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this article about the Artemis II mission and the significance it has on humanity.
Samantha Oropeza • May 15, 2026 at 1:51 pm
This article was very interesting and gave information about the Artemis II mission that happened in April. It was cool to learn that they set a record for the farthest that anyone has ever been from Earth. They discovered 2 craters and they suggested that they name them after their spacecraft and the late wife of one of their crewmembers. The group of three was the first to ever see the dark side of the moon and saw a total solar eclipse when the moon covered the sun. Also, the interviews were cool because it added different perspectives that different people had about the Artemis II mission. As NASA gets more data from explorations on the Moon, they’ll be closer and closer to one day exploring on Mars. At the end of the article, NASA’s mission states that they will continue explorations to the Moon for economic benefits. What kind of benefits are they referring to?