By: Lynn Mattes

“Copy, Moon joy” was spoken by Science Officer Angela Garcia from NASA Mission Control acknowledging the Artemis II crew’s excitement as they orbited the moon in early April 2026, and has gone viral as a way to describe the overall happiness surrounding the mission.  I keep hearing that phrase in my head and thinking about how much joy and inspiration that mission brought to me, and many others.  Our species sent four of its own around another celestial body for the first time in over 50 years.  The last time humans had been this far from earth, I was two and a half months old, unfortunately not old enough to remember.  I heard teachers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles talk about watching Neil Armstrong take “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” with the rest of the world, and the collective awe, hope, and inspiration it brought. 

I think the Artemis II mission, taking humans around the far side of the moon, has become that beacon of hope and inspiration for many of us in 2026.  The world is currently rather tumultuous and sometimes ugly on many fronts.  This mission showed what humans can accomplish when we work together towards common goals.  It took thousands of individuals to make the mission successful:  machinists, manufacturers, engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, computer programs, service industry, electricians, plumbers, communications, government officials, and many many others.  All working toward the same goal, advancing science and exploration, working for the collective good.  This mission gave me a sense of hope for humans as a species that I have been missing for a long time.

When dates and details of the mission became available, I arranged my work schedule so that I could watch the NASA feed and/or news for key moments.  I was in my office during the launch with the “in a meeting” sign on my closed door watching the NASA Youtube feed.  I didn’t want my co-workers seeing me get emotional.  I had goose bumps during the countdown and lift off.  I think I held my breath for the first 73 seconds (trauma from watching Challenger live as an 8th grader), and then I shed a few tears and cheered quietly as the rocket went higher and higher.

The day of the transit behind the moon, I arranged my schedule to work from home so that I could have the live NASA feed on my large TV rather than watching on a small computer screen.  The joy and wonder I could hear in the voices of the astronauts and the scientists on the ground with each new view was inspiring.  “Amaze. Amaze. Amaze” followed by  “Copy, Moon joy”.  I teared up listening to the astronauts name a crater after the deceased wife of one of them, followed by the group hug.  The sense of team and camaraderie those four showed was also great to see.  Four working together for a common goal; they specifically requested that all photos taken on the mission be credited to NASA, not to any one of them individually. I again held my breath when the astronauts were out of communication behind the moon. I cheered loudly when they regained communication.  And I waited anxiously for the photos and videos to be published.  Growing up I had a poster on my bedroom wall that showed the iconic Apollo 8 image of Earthrise from the moon that said, “some day I would like to stand on the moon and say there sure is an amazing Earth out”.  The photos that have been released are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.  

For their return to earth, I was in a hotel at a Fishery Management Council meeting.  Luckily the meeting ended a bit early that day, so I was able to go to my room and watch the NASA YouTube feed on my computer and news coverage on the TV.  I was nervous through reentry, splashdown, and until the astronauts emerged from the capsule (trauma from watching Columbia while in grad school).  At splashdown and again when they emerged, I could hear cheers from other hotel rooms around mine over my own cheers.  This made me very happy, the opposite of other times when I hear loud voices from nearby hotel rooms. Again, I shed a few tears.  I should note, I am not normally a crier, but it seemed watching Artemis II caused emotional releases I evidently needed. When I finally left my room and went down to the hotel restaurant to get some supper, there was a buzz of people talking about the mission. There was a lightness to the air that I hadn’t felt in a long time in a public space.

As a woman who has been interested in science since I was in elementary school, it was also very inspiring to see so many women be part of this mission.  The science team, flight director, CAPCOM, communication specialists, and most notably astronaut Mission Specialist Christina Koch.  I think these women have become role models and heroes for younger (and older) generations just like Dr. Sally Ride, the first US woman in space, was for me growing up.  I hope this inspires many girls and women to go after their dreams, pursue careers in STEM, and to keep learning and exploring.

In the days since the end of the mission, I have seen a number of memes about “what am I going to do without my emotional support astronauts”, I feel that.  Deeply.  I think Artemis II was something the world needed to help unite us, inspire us, and bring us hope during these unsettling times. I know I did.  I hope this mission and the future Artemis missions continue to inspire people, bring joy, and hope. 

Moon Joy to “Fisheries Joy”

So you may be wondering what this has to do with Women of Fisheries?  I think many of us who are in school for fisheries or who work in fisheries are here because we have a desire to learn more, to explore more, to try to understand more, and maybe seek out an adventure or two.  We just do it in an aquatic environment rather than in space. Hopefully seeing so many intelligent and capable women succeeding in a previously male-dominated field can serve as further inspiration to all of us women in fisheries.  Keep seeking answers, keep exploring, keep learning, keep inspiring others on your journey, try to have an adventure or two, and find your own “Fisheries joy”.