Big space news broke recently, with NASA unveiling the crew for its first human mission to the moon in more than 50 years.
For the first time, a female will be part of a space crew.
Christina Koch, a NASA astronaut who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will be a mission specialist on next year’s Artemis 11 flight.
She will be alongside Victor Glover, the first African American man to take part in a lunar mission.
This is very welcome progress, indeed.
Only 12 people – all of them white men – have set foot on the moon.
I love a story of gender and race barriers being smashed and I am always partial to space stories.
There is something so awe-inspiring about our quest to enter other galaxies.
Since I was a child, I have been obsessed with stargazing and moon swaying.
But I did laugh out loud when I read the news, as I have a few conspiracy-obsessed friends who, of course, swear we have never stepped on the moon.
One mate, who I have nicknamed Conspiracy Clive, brings me ‘evidence’ on a weekly basis to try to convince me of his wild accusation that Princess Diana’s death was not accidental, but that the People’s Princess was indeed murdered.
I know many others around the world also believe this theory.
I just plain do not believe it.
Truth be told, I am struggling most days to get out the door and keep my children alive to be bothered going down a rabbit hole of wacky and weird stories.
Another theory that I hear about most days from Conspiracy Clive is that we should all be wrapping our mobile phones in alfoil to stop spies from tracking us and radiation from entering our bodies.
My buddy brags to me loudly and proudly about all sorts of wickedly wonderful plots, despite my eye rolling and heavy sighing.
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Old Conspiracy Clive doesn’t need to drink to tell me these mind-blowing tall tales.
He does not do mind-altering drugs and he is mentally sane.
I love that he walks to the beat of his own drum.
Wouldn’t it be a boring world if we all believed the same stories?
His theories frustrate me on a bad day but, most days, I secretly love them.
Still, I will not be anywhere near him the day history is created when that mission to the moon is launched.
Sami Muirhead is a radio announcer, blogger and commentator. For more from Sami, tune into Mix FM.
