Over the last few weeks, a bright spot emerged from within our volatile and overwhelming news cycle: the Artemis II mission. 

No doubt your social feeds have been filled with stunning photos of Earth, the moon, and the four astronauts who embarked on the first human-led lunar flyby in over 50 years—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. 

Alongside collecting impressive scientific insights, the team has sparked a widespread movement of joy. And there’s a reason for that.

We aren’t just getting data and images. We’re getting the emotional reactions. The moments of awe and wonder. Heart hands and friendship bracelets and even that video of a floating jar of Nutella. 

We’re witnessing the human element. The powerful connection between a high-performance team. 

We’re also witnessing the learnings. 

In NASA’s Lunar Targeting Plan, mission control blocked off dedicated periods of “Discussion Time” for the astronauts to participate in guided discussions about the phenomena they observed in real time. 

They started their trip with a “Welcome to the Moon!” warm-up discussion all about what major landmarks they could see…probably the coolest Check-In question of all time. 

Then, sprinkled throughout instructions to observe basins and craters, were moments for reflection on what they noticed: color, topography, patterns, variations. They were encouraged to verbalize their experience with one another, and with everyone watching.

They ended with a “Forward Look,” a moment to collect their observations and reflect on how they can inform future missions.

You might think this is a minor blip on the list of interesting Artemis II facts, but their dedication to discussion carries a whole lot of significance. 

First, it pulls from a deep tradition of scientific curiosity. A desire to test and learn from hypotheses. In the workplace, growth doesn’t come from getting things right the first time. It comes from trying, failing, learning, and trying again. 

It also showcases the value of talking things through. 

At August, we always say people need to be less like politicians and more like scientists in how they work at the office. Our Retrospective practice—a predictable process to reflect on and discuss what is and isn’t working—helps teams embrace that mindset.

This graphic from Teams That Meet The Moment does a great example of showing how, when you wait too long between moments of reflection, performance dips dramatically before correction. 

But by creating a regular rhythm for discussions, performance stays steady. You’re improving your work while also improving how you improve. This is a meta-skill that can become your greatest competitive advantage.

Basically, teams get smarter and stronger when they take a moment to learn together.

That’s exactly what these discussion blocks do for the Artemis team…and, by proxy, all of us tuned into the live stream.

In a time when the value of connection and curiosity seems to be eclipsed by antagonistic disruption, the Artemis II mission has reminded us of the power of taking time to talk to each other. To ask questions. To share ideas. 

Whether it’s watching the astronauts name a crater after a loved one, celebrate milestones with hugs and tears, or communicate thoughtfully about their discoveries, this trip around the moon—the farthest humans have ever been from Earth—has brought us closer to our humanity. To our connection with one another. 

It’s this very same connection that drives meaningful teamwork. Whether we’re in a spaceship or a boardroom, that fact remains the same.   

“We will always choose each other,” said Christina Koch. And when we choose each other, we choose growth. 

Karina Mangu-Ward

Partner, August Public