OPAL

As I look towards Earth, its whole appearance reflects the sparkling arrays of inspiration dancing in my eyes. It has been 77 hours since my crew-mates and I officially made history as the first of the Artemis generation to venture on the moon. First in my moon pod crew is Bryson, a comical person who holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and doctorate in medicine. His personality creates an optimistic atmosphere, and his knowledge is crucial in protecting our health in space. Next is Dylan, a detail-oriented ex-Navy SEAL with a master’s degree in computer science. His perspective ensures that we consider every important factor in critical thinking situations. Third is Eliana, an empathic individual, who has a master’s degree in geology. Her personable demeanor helps maintain the stable friendship among our team and her expertise is needed for the science experiments we must conduct. Eliana and I have become the first women to step foot on the moon. My name is Cecilia and I am the leader of NASA’s first Artemis crew mission. I have a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and was previously a US Space Force Officer. The four of us are loyal to our country and stand united in our mission. One of our top priority goals is to investigate the presence of water on the moon. That is why we brought OPAL, Our Pioneer for Aqua on the Lunar surface. OPAL is a robot with AI technology that will continue to harvest and map the location of H2O on the moon’s south pole. It is equipped with multiple scientific instruments to garner data which will expand upon what SOFIA has already discovered. OPAL will deepen NASA’s understanding of water’s ability to exist in space to help future endeavors on the Moon, and eventually, on Mars.