Aboard the historic Artemis II, NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover Jr. delivered a powerful faith-centered message as the spacecraft approached the far side of the moon and prepared for a communications blackout-one of the mission's most dramatic moments.
Rather than focusing on the technical achievement of traveling farther from Earth than any humans in more than 50 years, Glover turned his attention to what he described as one of life's greatest truths: love. Speaking just before Orion lost contact with Earth, he reflected on the words of Jesus Christ, pointing to the foundational command to love God and love others.
"As we get close to the nearest point to the moon and farthest point from Earth... I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that's love," Glover said. "Christ said... the greatest command is to love God with all that you are... and the second is equal to it... to love your neighbor as you love yourself."
The moment added a deeply spiritual dimension to an already historic mission. Launched on April 1, Artemis II marks NASA's first crewed lunar mission in over five decades, with its crew reaching unprecedented distances from Earth during a lunar flyby. As the spacecraft entered a roughly 40-minute communications blackout behind the moon, Glover used his final words before signal loss not to highlight exploration, but to emphasize unity, faith, and human connection.
This is not the first time Glover has spoken openly about his faith during the mission. On Easter Sunday, he described Earth as a "beautiful oasis" created by God and encouraged people to see themselves as "one people" sharing a fragile and sacred home. His reflections have resonated widely, blending scientific achievement with a message rooted in Christian belief.
"As we prepare to go out of radio communication, we feel your love from Earth," Glover added. "And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you from the moon."
In a mission defined by distance and discovery, Glover's words served as a reminder that even at the farthest reaches of human exploration, the message of faith, love, and unity remains at the center of the human story.
