Why is this space mission different from all other space missions?

The Passover/Artemis II crossover episode we don't need

(Credit: Nasa HQ)

Pity the columnist: deadline approaching, gorge rising, editor sending increasingly frantic emails. What could he write about? A brief glance at the calendar — April 2nd. On this day in 1917, Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany. Not really the vibe. 1982, Argentina invades the Falkland Islands. Same again. 2025, Donald Trump unveils his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. Wow — the erosion of the rules-based international order comes around quicker every year.

And then, suddenly, the seas part. Passover! The Artemis II mission! It’s the crossover episode we’ve all been waiting for! Sure, one is a biblical account of redemption and escape from centuries of slavery, the other a modern day space test mission. But reader, if you look at their deeper themes, the meaningful connections are endless. Let’s see — just need an opening.

Journey from bondage to freedom: The core of the Exodus story is the liberation of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. The literal breaking of chains and confines of enslavement… just like the astronauts breaking the bonds of Earth’s gravity! As leaving Egypt redefined what was possible for the Israelites, leaving Low Earth Orbit redefines what is possible for the Artemis Generation. Except, Apollo did this like 50 years ago. But that’s fine — we’re just getting started.

[Full disclosure: I’m aware this delightful article uses a similar headline to mine, but I swear that, like combining chocolate and peanut butter, I came to it independently!]

Faith and trust in God: In the Passover story, Moses leads his people into the desert with no clear roadmap, relying on faith, much like the astronauts. Except, no that doesn’t work. Nasa knows exactly where they’re headed. A couple of times around the Earth to make sure all systems are go, and then onto the Moon, slingshot back home, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.