I just finished watching the successful splashdown of the Artemis II mission in the Pacific, off the coast of San Diego, after following the journey with admiration and wonder.
I’m drawn to stories like this. Not because they are about space, but because they reveal something deeply human.
On the surface, Artemis II is a technical achievement, years of precision, risk, and innovation. But what I see is people. Across borders, languages, cultures. More than 30 nations contributed in different ways. Even countries like Argentina, not directly part of the mission, was part of this wider human effort.
And inside that capsule, a simple image. Three Americans and one Canadian. Trusting each other.
The contrast is hard to ignore.
At times, leaders like the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Canada don’t see eye to eye. Positions harden. Language divides.
And yet, something else is happening.
People are working together.
Not because they agree on everything, but because they share a purpose. In space, there is no room for fragmentation. The system only works if the relationships work. As Martin Buber would say, this is an I–Thou encounter.
This is what touches me.
We speak about division as if it defines us. As if it is inevitable. But Artemis II tells another story. Quiet, but clear.
We can build spaces of encounter.
We can relate beyond difference.
We can collaborate.
I see this in my work every day. When people find a shared focus, something shifts. Listening changes. Possibility opens.
Artemis II is doing this on a global scale.
So, I don’t just see a mission to the Moon. I see a reminder.
Yes, we can.
Not perfectly. Not without tension. But we can choose to connect. To create together.
And perhaps that is the real mission.
Who are you inviting into your capsule?
In wonder and hope.
Carlos
