Episode Summary: • A wonder‑filled deep dive into NASA’s Artemis II mission, as we explore the awe, emotion, and “Moon Joy” sparked by watching humans travel farther into deep space than any crew in decades — from breathtaking photography and brilliant comms to the touching dedication of Carroll Crater and the reminder that nothing replaces the human eye or human experience. • A celebration of women in STEM and the future of exploration, highlighting the powerful presence of women’s voices across mission control, engineering, and science teams, the importance of STEAM storytelling, and the generational shift toward a more inclusive, representative space program that inspires kids everywhere. • A cozy, chaotic blend of millennial space nostalgia and human psychology, weaving together childhood astronaut dreams, glow‑in‑the‑dark stars, sonic booms, fears of deep water and submechanophobia, and the universal joy of watching people step fully into what they were born to do — proving that space belongs to everyone, and wonder is still alive. Ready for Liftoff This week’s episode is a love letter to space, fear, wonder, women in STEM, the human experience, and the fact that neither of us is getting on a rocket anytime soon. Buckle up — it’s time for our favorite bits of MOON JOY. 🌑 The Hopes and Dreams of a New Generation So, Casie is afraid of flying and we’re both afraid of deep water. Neither of us is probably volunteering for a submersible or a moon trip any time soon. And yet, somehow, we both agree that space feels less terrifying than the Mariana Trench. Blame James Cameron. Blame The Abyss. Blame the fact that the bottom of the ocean feels like the setting of every “nope” moment in human history. But space? Space is…weirdly majestic. Terrifying, yes. But majestic. And the Artemis II mission — and more, specifically, MOON DAY — absolutely proved that. But, first — here’s a couple of moments Casie captured outside on her front yard of Launch Day: * Fun little #TBT to the time Casie took part of a #NASAsocial event in 2018. * Also, check out Casie’s friend @StevenMadow who is an incredible Orlando photographer who had 14 cameras setup for the Artemis II launch. Copy, Moon Joy. This episode was recorded in the afterglow of watching NASA’s latest deep-space mission — the first with humans heading that far out in decades. And listen…we were invested. From the moment the broadcast started, Casie (freshly unemployed) was glued to NASA’s live coverage until she went to bed. As is tradition, she non-stop shared her favorite Threads all day with Amber for her to check out during breaks and after work. A BFF love language if ever there was one. 🙃 The photography. The comms. The brilliant descriptions. The HUMAN moments - especially the team naming Carroll Crater in memory of Reid’s wife who was taken by cancer in 2020. (Seriously! Tissues at the ready here!) The fact that these 4 astronauts took photography classes so they can capture and describe what they saw. The way mission control guided them through lenses and angles like remote creative directors. And then there was the pure, unfiltered joy of this team celebrating everything from a “beautiful separation” to being in awe over impact flashes. Seems ✨Moon Joy✨ is EXACTLY what we needed. Nothing Beats the Human Experience One of the most beautiful themes of the mission, especially in the year 2026: Technology is extraordinary, but nothing replaces the human eye or the human experience. Even with the best cameras and tech, astronauts were still struggling to capture what they were seeing. And honestly? We get it. Some sunsets, some moments, some views — they just don’t translate. You had to be there to experience them in that moment — but whew 😮💨 the photos they did capture for us? Next. Level. Like…LOOK AT THIS: Storytelling, photography, and art are all part of the human experience — they are also a huge part of science and exploration — and, so, if you’re asking us? In a world of STEM — maybe actually bring back, focus on, and fund the hell out of STEAM. 😎✌🏼 (STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, and Mathematics) Don’t miss these great posts: * “We sent humans because satellites don’t call Earth and describe the colors of the craters in sunset tones…” — @anna_lisa_art * We Sent the Best by Elayna Mae Darcy Women Everywhere — And We Love to See It Another aspect of the Artemis mission that we just could NOT get enough of: the voices. From mission control, the science team, communications, and engineering — Women. Were. EVERYWHERE. And you could hear us loud and clear. Casie shared a bit about Permission to Speak, a book by Samara Bay (who Casie has also taken a workshop with), and how we have grown up being surrounded by men’s voices. We know what Tom Hanks sounds like. We can collectively hear Neil Armstrong’s, “One small step…” — but we don’t often hear women’s voices. (And when we do — well, society is quick to judge them. Ew. Don’t do that.) Artemis felt like a shift — a visible, audible reminder that the future of exploration looks different than its past. And that younger generations will grow up having these brilliant astronauts and scientists to look up to…and hearing women’s voices as part of the soundtrack to history. Right down to, “Copy Heart, Copy Bracelet.” We also talked about how early gender assumptions start, how quickly kids absorb them, and how important it is to show them a world where strength, intelligence, and leadership aren’t gendered. Space Belongs to Everyone This mission wasn’t just for one country. It’s for everyone. In a world that, day to day, is really hard to find moments that leave you filled with awe, wonder, and joy — Artemis’ biggest gift to us has been the reminder that we are all one. Millions of people. From every corner of the planet. Only 8 of us (4 humans are also currently on the ISS) aren’t in this photo: 🥹 We have laughed (toilet troubles, the Nutella flyby, this adorably relateable comms moment with @LeahCheshier) with this crew, sat in awe (THE PHOTOS! THE SCIENCE!) with this crew, and cried with this crew… The magic of this team has been making something literally out of this world, feel collectively human and accessible. There has been something for everyone. Did we mention we’ve cried? A lot. Realllllly gotta ask NASA for a tissue warning next time! Childhood Wonder We also wandered into millennial childhood space memories: • Glow-in-the-dark stars still stuck to bedroom ceilings decades later? ✅ • Sonic booms shaking Florida homes? ✅✅ • And the universal kid question: Did you ever want to be an astronaut? We split this answer 50/50. Although…100% we’d definitely rather go into space than the ocean. 😂 Other Phobias Explored We also dove into other weird psychological stuff — the uncanny feeling of seeing something where it shouldn’t be like Casie’s Submechanophobia (fear of submerged man-made objects, either partially or entirely underwater), abandoned structures, anything too deep or too vast. We are clearly not meant for the, “What do you mean you can’t just go home when you’re done?” of it all. No ability to Irish goodbye from behind the moon? Yeah. Hard pass. But for astronauts? The curiosity outweighs the fear. And honestly, we admire that. So what’s the point? This episode wove together wonder, curiosity, humanity, art, science, childhood dreams, global collaboration, and the joy of watching our fellow humans step fully into what they were born to do (We love enjoying other people’s joy!) and bravely going to the other side of the moon…for all humanity. Space exploration is complicated. But it’s also beautiful. And this week, we felt lucky to witness it. Thanks, Artemis II. ✨🌑🚀 🌲 Connect with Amber on Threads, Substack, or LinkedIn — you can also check out her pup @JoJotheKeeshond. 🌴 Catch Casie on Threads, Substack, or LinkedIn — you can also check out her pups @PawsitivePointers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit weswearwehadapoint.substack.com
