Astronauts Come Together in London from Around the World to Celebrate Going to the Moon, NASA’s Artemis Mission, Commercial and International Space, and Showcasing the way space exploration makes life better on Earth.
At a time when peace on Earth is in doubt, the space community reminds us that we are living on one planet together.
Photo by Shanna Lockwood
Space for a Better World, a 501c3 non-profit, is hosting the AIM HIGHER Gala at the Science Museum in London on May 3rd to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 16 Mission while showcasing and promoting how space benefits life on Earth.
Ten astronauts from around the world, along with the UK Space Agency and UK Space Command, will gather together for the first time since the pandemic hit to discuss how their unique perspective from going to space has altered their view of Earth.
“Blessed with the opportunity to experience our planetary home from the extraordinary vantage point of space, I saw the glowing colors of land and sea, and the overwhelmingly beautiful presentation of our interconnectivity all wrapped up in the only border that matters: The thin blue line of our atmosphere that blankets and protects us all,” said Astronaut Nicole Stott, author of the newly released book Back to Earth. “On a personal mission to bring these lessons back to Earth, I’m fully supportive of Space for a Better World’s mission and their celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 16 with Moonwalker Charlie Duke and friends. It will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the Apollo program, a legacy that inspires us to explore farther reaches of the unknown, to go back to the Moon with Apollo’s sister Artemis, and to continue to aim higher as we work off the Earth for the benefit of all life on Earth with a future that can be as beautiful as it looks from space.”
The event will be hosted by TV presenter Dallas Campbell and virtually by BBC star and physicist Professor Brian Cox. The program will highlight the benefits of space missions, including how satellite data is used to analyze the health of the planet and help scientists monitor climate change.
Awards will be presented including the Space Icon Award given to General Charlie Duke, the 10th man to walk on the Moon, most famous as the Capcom for Apollo 11 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the first lunar landing in July of 1969. The Pioneer Award will be presented to Poppy Northcutt, the first woman to work in Mission Control during the Apollo 8 mission to orbit the Moon for the first time in 1968.
A family-friendly public event with several astronauts will be held the day before the AIM HIGHER Gala at the Science Museum IMAX Theater, followed by a book signing with Astronauts Nicole Stott and Dr. Sian Proctor. Reservations are required for the IMAX theater with the book signing open to the broader public.
“There is a major awareness gap between most of the world and what’s going on in the space industry,” said Christina Korp, former manager of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Founder of Space for a Better World. “At a time with so much crisis and young people worried about climate and their future on Earth, it’s imperative to bridge the gap about the ways space is a powerful and important tool to help solve the world’s biggest problems. Space science is critical for Earth observation and climate research, including crop monitoring and food supply, among many other important initiatives. We need to bridge the gap, so more people can see how space tech is already playing a major part in making life better on Earth and what is possible if we look to space for more solutions. We also need everyone on board to improve life on Earth; not just the engineers, scientists and astronauts. I’m working hard to show how there’s room for everyone in space.”
Astronauts Attending:
Gen. Charlie Duke, Apollo 16, 10th man to walk on the Moon and Capcom for Apollo 11
Tim Peake, British Astronaut, UK’s 1st European Space Agency astronaut at the ISS
Nicole Stott, NASA Astronaut & Aquanaut, 100+ days in space, and 10th woman to conduct a spacewalk
Susan Kilrain, NASA Astronaut and Navy Test Pilot, 2nd woman and youngest person to pilot the Space Shuttle
Soyeon Yi, South Korean Astronaut, the 1st and only South Korean ever to go to space
Naoko Yamazaki, JAXA astronaut, 2nd Japanese woman to go to space
Inspiration4 SpaceX Astronauts:
Jared Isaacman, Mission Commander
Dr. Sian Proctor, Mission Pilot, the 4th black woman to go to space and the 1st black woman to be a Mission Pilot
Chris Sembroski, Mission Specialist
Hayley Arceneaux, the youngest person to go to space and the 1st person to have a disability as a childhood cancer survivor
Awardees:
Gen. Charlie Duke, Apollo 16, 10th man to walk on the Moon and Capcom for Apollo 11
Poppy Northcutt, 1st female engineer in Mission Control at Johnson Space Center
Hosts:
Dallas Campbell, BBC Presenter
Professor Brian Cox, virtually, Physicist and BBC Star
Major Sponsors Include:
OMEGA
Axiom Space
British Airways
COMO Hotels and Resorts
Zero Gravity Corp
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