I have officially joined a very exclusive club.
Not astronauts, not engineers, not billionaires, but… names currently scheduled to orbit the Moon.
Thanks to the NASA Artemis program, my name, Emmanuel Avargués, is now listed as a passenger on Artemis II. Not physically, of course. My body remains firmly on Earth, still subject to gravity, invoices, and coffee. But my name? That one is going lunar.
Boarding pass obtained, luggage optional
Some people collect fridge magnets. Others run marathons. I apparently collect symbolic space travel documents.
Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, a real, serious, extremely expensive journey that will send four astronauts around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft. And somewhere in that mountain of cutting-edge technology, titanium, software, and fuel… is a digital (or engraved, or archived, or ceremonially acknowledged) trace of my name.
No seat assignment yet. No meal preference either. I assume "freeze-dried ego" will be served.
Am I an astronaut now?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: absolutely not.
Let's be clear. I will not:
• Experience zero gravity
• Wear a spacesuit
• Do a cool slow-motion exit from a capsule
• Get paid by NASA
What I will do is casually say, at dinner parties:
"Ah yes, my name is currently traveling around the Moon."
And then wait.
A small name, a big distance
There is something oddly poetic about it. A name, typed on a keyboard in Tenerife, quietly hitching a ride on humanity's return to deep space. No selfies, no filters, no likes. Just silence, vacuum, and about 685,000 miles of mileage earned.
If that's not minimalist travel, I don't know what is.
Final thoughts before launch
This is obviously playful, symbolic, and slightly ridiculous. But it is also a reminder that space exploration is not just for astronauts anymore. It is cultural. Collective. Human. And sometimes, delightfully personal.
So if everything goes according to plan, sometime soon:
• The Moon will be orbited
• History will advance
• And my name will briefly be farther from Earth than I have ever been
Which, professionally speaking, is a solid career highlight.
Bon voyage, Artemis.
Take care of my name. I'll be here, editing photos.