The excitement all around the world is palpable as we prepare for Artemis II. None are more excited than those who have spent their careers in space exploration! David Morris, chief engineer for space imaging at Teledyne e2v in Chelmsford. Propulsion engineer Sian Cleaver, of Airbus in Germany. Together, they will be helping to make history in this monumental milestone.
The Artemis II mission will be launching any time now, later this week. It will soon carry four astronauts on an exhilarating ten-day journey around the Moon. This exploratory mission is already a huge success, as this is the closest humans have ventured to the lunar surface since 1972. The crew of Artemis II will rely heavily on the European Service Module. This module is covered with solar arrays, immaculately detailed by Cleaver and her team in Bremen.
Morris, 65, was adamant about the transformative potential of the upcoming mission. More importantly, he reflected on the cultural impact the original Moon landing in 1969 had. He continued, “If you think about what happened in 1969 and the transformational nature of witnessing man set foot on the Moon, I think we can ignite that same kind of global enthusiasm when we do it again.” It will inspire the international community to pay greater attention to what it means to be ‘the world’ as opposed to many disconnected countries.
Cleaver, originally from Chelmsford and now 36 years old, expressed her pride in being part of the Orion spacecraft’s propulsion system development. “I always wanted to work in the space industry and now I am doing that on a human space flight mission, which for me is a dream come true,” she stated. Her role captures her own professional ambitions as well as a focus on helping to keep humanity at the forefront of exploration beyond our home planet.
Both Morris and Cleaver have a big, bold imagination for the future of space exploration. Cleaver noted, “There are a couple of generations who haven’t lived through a moon landing; it’s almost becoming ancient history in a way.” Her anticipation for the upcoming mission is palpable as she added, “To experience that with a whole new load of people on this Earth I think is going to be really special. It’s just the first step on our journey to Mars.”
Morris matched Cleaver’s enthusiasm, adding that their investments will hopefully one day provide a springboard for more ambitious explorations. He remarked, “You get both a sense of pride and no little wonder that the things that we’ve actually built and touched from here will end up perhaps on the Moon, or perhaps exploring the far reaches of the galaxy.”
As we gear up for the NASA Artemis II mission, humanity’s return to the Moon is just around the corner. Morris and Cleaver represent the innovative, cooperative spirit that captures this new, exciting era of space exploration. They work hard to reach their own individual milestones, all the while working toward a collective vision. Combined, they hope to see humans return to the Moon—and eventually explore further—together.