NASA Pilot Welcomes Prayer for Moon Mission

As NASA prepares to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972 as part of the Artemis II expedition, Victor Glover Jnr will pilot the mission.

Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013 while serving as a Legislative Fellow in the United States Senate, and most recently served as pilot and second-in-command on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon. He also served as Flight Engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 64. The Artemis II is in good hands!

This latest space endeavor seeks to forge a robust lunar presence, enabling us to deepen our understanding of the cosmos and eventually pave the way for humanity’s momentous journey to the “Red Planet”.

“I know that God can use us for his purposes,” Glover told Christianity Today. “When Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, he used that very specific prayer that we all know, ‘Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name …’ So, listen, I am a messenger of his kingdom; his will be done.”

Glover plans to pray for his fellow crew members as well as encourage others to pray for them during the Artemis II mission, which is set to launch late next year.

“Pray for our crew,” Glover said. “Pray for the hardware. Pray for the team all around the world that support this. And the hardest mission of all is the one our families are about to embark on. If you could pray for our families, that would be amazing.”

Prayer is a major personal focus for Glove as he prepares for Artemis II, but it’s just a component of his approach leading up to the mission. Glover hopes the first crewed moon landing in over 50 years will help the entire United States.

“I don’t want to be divisive,” Glover said. “I want to represent the American people. In the United States, we’re still divided,” he added. “I hope that this mission can be an example of peace and cooperation between countries, but also between groups [within my country].”

Artemis II is the first crewed test flight of the Artemis program, a multi-mission campaign set to create a durable lunar presence and pave the way for human exploration of Mars. While the Artemis II mission won’t entail setting foot on the lunar surface, it serves as a vital stepping stone towards fulfilling the overarching objectives of the Artemis program.