The pilot of the Artemis II mission to the moon is a committed Christian and Sunday school teacher who realises the spiritual significance of it happening over the Easter Holy Week.
Captain Victor Glover, who is a member of a US Protestant congregation known as the Church of Christ, has taken a Bible with him among his personal items.
Ahead of the first manned mission to the moon in more than 50 years, the NASA astronaut said : “We need Jesus — whether we’re here on Earth or orbiting the moon.”
The father of four daughters is accompanied by commander Reid Wiseman and mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch.
A MISSION OF FIRSTS
It’s a mission of firsts with Glover on track to be the first African American to reach the moon, Koch the first woman and Hansen the first Canadian.
Artemis II is set to travel further into space than humanity has ever ventured before on its 10 day mission — covering almost one million kilometres.
Its primary mission is to confirm the Orion spacecraft’s ability to operate in a deep space environment ahead of next year’s Artemis III mission to just above the lunar surface.
The Artemis IV mission scheduled for 2028 will land astronauts on that surface — ahead of longer-term plans to build a lunar space base and ultimately send crews to Mars from that base.
CAPTAIN GLOVER’S JOURNEY TO NASA
Captain Glover was born and raised in the suburban sprawl of east Los Angeles before earning a bachelor’s degree in general engineering and three master’s degrees.
He joined the US Navy and served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler.
He’s accumulated 3,500 flight hours in over 40 aircraft, landed on aircraft carriers over 400 times and served 24 combat missions.
In 2013, he was selected as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class.
HIS FIRST SPACE MISSION
In 2018, he was assigned to his first space mission, as Crew-1 pilot of the first operational flight of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, and as a flight engineer for nearly six months aboard the International Space Station.
For that mission he packed his Bible along with communion cups so he could take part in a “virtual service, virtual giving, reading my Bible and praying”.
He later told church congregations how he was able to worship in space and take communion every week.
CAREER BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF FAITH
Speaking to the Christian Chronicle in 2023, Captain Glover said his career was built on a foundation of faith.
“My career is fed by my faith, and you know, anytime I do something that’s pretty risky, I pray — before I fly, every time I fly. I fly airplanes a few times a week.”
“Definitely when you go sit on top of a rocket ship.”
“In the military, there’s a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. There aren’t any on top of rockets, either.”
“I PRAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS THIS MISSION”
Speaking ahead of the launch of Artemis II, Captain Glover said: “I pray that God will bless this mission.”
“But I also pray that we can continue to serve as a source of inspiration, for cooperation and peace, not just between nations, but in our own nation”.
He thanked NASA for supporting his faith walk even while he was off the planet.
“I was able to worship in space. NASA supported me and my family’s desire to continue to worship and to continue our faith walk even while I was off the planet.”
“That was really important to me.”
FAITH, SCIENCE AND MILITARY CAREER ARE “INTERWOVEN”
Captain Glover has also shared about how his faith and science and military career are “interwoven,” and how working at NASA often evokes conversations about creation.
“We talk about our solar system, and I will often refer to the beauty of creation.”
“People hear that, and it’s like a trigger word for certain folks. But that’s in church and at NASA.”
Victor Glover added that he doesn’t believe there’s a conflict between faith and science:
“I DON’T FIND FAITH AND SCIENCE IN CONFLICT”
“They don’t actually work against each other like some people like to claim that they do,” he asserted.
“I believe in both [faith and science] and I don’t find them to be in conflict.”
Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen writes: “Indeed, modern science increasingly supports Christian theism.”
“As the beautiful Psalm 19 poetically declares:”
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world. heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-4, ESV)
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